


Tales of the Society: The Azure Age Chapter 9

by LadyofI



Series: Tales of the Society [9]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen, Oh this is gonna SUCK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-28 08:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20060953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyofI/pseuds/LadyofI
Summary: Purgatory attacks the entirety of the Nexus and the Society is prepared. At least, let's hope they're prepared.





	1. In the Name of God

_Save for the crackling of the fireplace, there was silence in the room as Brian finished recounting the Society’s battle with Saturn. After a moment, the arctic wolf spoke with a hint of incredulity._

_“So…let me get this straight, Irene. You got yourself caught in the backfire of your own ice-rocket while fighting the amalgamation of a _city-sized_ wasp hive, plummeted nearly the length of a skyscraper, got saved at the last second by your supercharged undead crush, and woke up just in time to hear him declare his love for you while murdering the _fuck_ outta said hive’s queen bee and the skull-headed yandere she was using as a host?”_

_“Pretty much, Nessa.” Irene’s tone was casual, but she couldn’t completely hide her flushing cheeks as she remembered that exact moment once more._

_“Holy crap…that’s the craziest love story I’ve ever heard!” Nessa put a hand to her chest, as if trying to physically keep her heart from bouncing out. “_Never_ let Tsuneo go, Irene; guys like that come once in a lifetime.” She shot a quick glance at her shadow beast as it let out a questioning growl. “It’s a figure of speech, Hellrion; just sayin’ that Irene over there owes Tsuneo _big time_ for that last save.”_

_“Not quite,” Tsuneo answered. “If anything, I’d say _I_ owe _her_ at this point. Previous contributions to the cause aside…what would you say if I told you that Irene saved me from _past_ the brink of death not too long after we finished off Saturn?”_

_“Ooh…” Eli cringed as he realized what Tsuneo was getting at. “Somehow, I almost _forgot_ what came after that…the biggest crisis of all.”_

_Although several murmurs, groans, and sighs of assent came from the rest of the Society, Nessa just looked confused. “Uhh…not to sound like the idiot in the room here, but…I don’t remember a lick of any massive crisis after Neo-Tokyo.”_

_“That’s because you were probably caught in it,” Scafe sighed. “Hold onto your ass, ‘cause we’re about to get **dark**…”_

_“Metaphorically!” B.Nana interjected. “Purgatory wasn’t the type for dark n’ gloomy stuff…well, _mostly…_”_

_Tsuneo nodded grimly. “There’s a phrase I heard once: ‘_the brighter the light, the larger its shadow._’ It’s fitting, then, that Purgatory’s so-called ‘divine light’ cast a shadow over the whole damn Nexus. A shadow that _no one_ could ever condone…a shadow called **mind control.**_”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

## Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

### Chapter 9.1: In The Name Of God

In stark contrast to their frenzied arrival in Neo-Tokyo, the Society’s trip back to the _Ruby Revenant_ was bordering on relaxing. Without wasps blackening the sky, the icy remains of their impromptu shelter were clearly visible in the mostly-ruined square; the only difficulty they had was picking through the debris of Saturn’s hive. Along the way, several members sighed in relief as they saw people emerging from various hiding places.

“Oh thank everything; we have survivors…” Irene said. “For a while there, I thought everyone had been…” 

“Don’t make me think about _that!_” Becky groaned. “I’m gonna need a _looong_ bath when we get home…”

Meanwhile, Eli couldn’t help but approach the citizens, waving a hand affably as he closed the distance. “Ah, _moshi moshi! Daijōbudesuka?_” His enthusiasm was dampened slightly when he received no response, but he assumed that they were still reeling from Saturn’s assault on their city…until he got close enough to see the pure hostility in their eyes.

“Uhh…if this is about the 109, I feel ya, but-” Eli jumped as one of the men in the group charged straight at him. “Whoa!! What’s your malfunction!?” He deftly sidestepped the man’s lunge, leaving him to fall to the ground in a less-than-dignified heap…but only momentarily. He quickly scrambled back to his feet, not even bothering to dust himself off before pointing an accusing finger at the shocked chinchilla.

“_Sunokami no hikari e no eikō!_” The incensed man’s scream signalled the rest of the onlookers to charge, several brandishing makeshift (and not-so-makeshift) weapons as they echoed his cry. Eli’s eyes widened as he mentally translated the phrase and realized what it meant for his friends.

“Guys! RUN LIKE HELL!” The words had barely left the chinchilla’s mouth before he turned tail and bolted for the airship, charging right past the rest of his friends. A glance back confirmed what had him worried; it wasn’t long before everyone else began mimicking his sprint.

“Well…this is certainly an unpleasant plot twist,” Hanna commented.

“Looks like some folks just don’t know gratitude,” Dante sighed. “Should we knock some sense into ‘em, boys and girls~?” He reached for his beam katana, but a firm prod from Brian’s spider limb stayed his hand.

“**No.**” Brian’s tone carried a steely finality that not even the tanuki dared snark at. “We are _not_ going to have another Skull Mountain Island incident; we’re getting out of here, and we’re _NOT_ hurting anyone on the way out!”

“I don’t think these guys are gonna make that last part easy!” Tavo yelped, summoning Opeth to help boost him out of the path of a thrown bottle.

“Then it’s a good thing we have some tricks up our sleeves!” Gabe donned his Striker gauntlets and summoned one of his plain red dodgeballs. “These have the impact to knock people down, but they can’t do anything lasting if I don’t pitch ‘em at full strength.” He promptly demonstrated by tossing the ball amid the approaching civilians, ricocheting it between them to send several sprawling; in turn, more would-be assailants were held up by the sudden obstacles in their path.

“I can certainly spare the _time_ to assist you.” Tim angled his flight path upwards to get a better view of the crowd; it looked like there were about a hundred or so in the immediate vicinity, with more pouring out further down the street. With a flick of his stopwatch, he placed a large temporal bubble behind his friends, slowing down the encroaching mob. “I’d recommend that we make haste with our retreat, however - it seems that we’re quite an attraction now.”

“Then let’s _redirect_ their attention…” With an offhanded gesture, Kuro summoned an Abyssal Rift underneath the first line of rioters, transporting them to just a few feet above the next. Needless to say, neither group was prepared for the surprise collision, creating an impressive pileup; with the help of Tim’s temporal bubble, they effectively formed a makeshift wall against the rest of the mob. Despite the sudden obstacle, the rampaging civilians were undeterred; the ones that avoided the pileup immediately began scrambling over the mound of their dazed brethren, still howling “_Sunokami no hikari e no eikō!_” as they tried to continue the chase.

“Allow me to add to this rising action!” Hanna turned to focus on the incoming assailants as his hands glowed with an eerie green light. “He who controls the soul speaks the universal language…for now, let’s send you a message of _fear!_”

The glowing core on Hanna’s chest seemed to flare as mouths opened on his palms, releasing waves of spirit energy over the mob. The civilians quickly collapsed on the ground, clutching their heads and screaming in a combination of terror, anger, and pain.

“Hmm…some sort of psionic assault, I take it?” Zuula clicked approvingly as the phantom warped back to catch up with his friends. “Quite impressive, Hanna~”

“My apologies if I challenge your supremacy in the horror department, Zuula.” Hanna’s snark earned him the barest playful slap from the Carcanod’s tentacle.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she replied cheerfully. “Altering their minds directly is the _easy_ path to fear; nowhere near as fun as a _proper_ scare~” 

“Definitely less lasting damage, though!” Brian nodded, drawing up a big wall as everyone ran past him. “No need to give these guys PTSD just because we don’t wanna break any legs!”

“Save the discussion for when we’re _not_ about to get lynch mobbed!” Matt yelled, all but leaping into his seat in the _Ruby Revenant_. In the command center, Tsuneo was already booting up the engines; once the rest of the group was seated and strapped in, the thrusters released a potent afterburner, blasting all the surrounding civilians on their backs as the airship took to the skies.

“_Punch it!!!_” Everyone yelled at Tsuneo as he slammed the levers forward, the thrusters simultaneously deploying an afterburner to blast them far off from the city. Once they were well over the Nexian ocean, Brian heaved a sigh of relief as he slumped back in the command chair, but Zeus’s attention was drawn to Eli leaning over the radar console, his concern evident in his tapping foot and pale dreadlocks.

“_…What’s up, Eli?_” the Parasite asked. “_So the locals blame us for wrecking their place - nothing we aren't used to, eh?_”

“Guys…they _weren’t_ mad about the building.” The chinchilla looked back at Brian, still visibly shaken as he elaborated. “That warcry…_Sunokami no hikari e no eikō_…is Japanese for…_Glory To the Lord’s Divine Light._”

Tsuneo’s fists immediately clenched as Max spoke up from the gunner pod. “That sounds unpleasantly familiar,” he said. “I mean, big Nexus and all, but I know exactly _one_ person who’d say that unironically.”

“_Purgatory_…!” Tsuneo all but spat the name as he slammed both fists into the console before him. “Either she’s _really_ been playing evangelist in her spare time…or this whole situation reeks of something _worse_ than a mere cult following.”

“Whatever she’s up to, she won’t be doing it for long,” Scafe scoffed. “Now that Saturn’s out of the way, we’re going straight for your ‘number one fan,’ Tsuneo.”

“_More like ‘number one **hater**_,” Zeus quipped.

“I’m scared to think about just what that God-loving nut of a knight is planning…” Brian mused grimly. “Tania’s everything the rest of the Initiative isn’t: cunning, intelligent, determined…and _all types of fucked up._ Hell, I’d go so far as to say that she makes _Quantum_ look small-time when she’s on a roll.”

“_Let’s not forget her backup,_” Zeus added. “_If Cipher’s intel was on point, Purgatory’s got 1:30 as her personal lackey. If we’re going after her, that murderous number probably won’t be too far away._”

“Eeyup. Now that we have an idea of what we’re up against, and everyone’s at the ready…we need to call Cipher and get our information.” Scafe fiddled with the communications console as Neo-Tokyo vanished behind them. Before long, Cipher’s face appeared on the main screen in front of Brian, bandages covering his ears and much of his scalp.

“About time you called. I was half-ready to write you off as casualties of the Cathedral.” His nonchalant, almost aloof tone befuddled the Councilmen, but they focused on his mention of Purgatory’s secret project. 

“Wait, you mean _this_ is the Cathedral’s work? The crazy people preaching about the Lord’s Light?” Scafe questioned. “How the hell…?”

“Simple: mass suggestion,” Cipher explained. “Y’know the phrase ‘_62,400 repetitions make one truth?_’ Well, Purgatory’s doing that en masse with her Cathedral, broadcasting a universal mantra to the minds of everyone on the Surface.” 

“_Glory To the Lord’s Divine Light…_” Brian repeated back, contributing to Cipher’s own growing scowl. “So she’s influencing people’s minds with that subliminal sentence…” 

“Well…that and one other one: _The Crimson Heretics Must Die._” The Councilmen rolled their eyes, but the feline didn’t hold his usual sarcastic air. “I’m not joking. I can hear it right now, echoing in the back of my head like a broken fucking record; _clearly_, no amount of head trauma in the world is going to silence it…” Despite his grim words, he sounded more annoyed than concerned by the situation.

“Wait a sec,” Scafe piped up. “If the Cathedral’s sending signals across the planet…how come _we_ ain’t hearing it? It’d be easier to turn us all against each other than to turn the entire Nexus on us…not that I want to give her ideas.”

“I think she’s actually been attempting to _do_ that.” Cipher shrugged as nonchalantly as he could despite his continued discomfort. “The signals are stronger in Neo-Tokyo, so you _should_ be getting the brunt of it…but they’re definitely spreading across the Nexus, too. Clearly, she’s not leaving anything to chance…she’ll brainwash everyone on the planet before she lets you stop her and Chrome Dome.”

“Business as usual for Ms. ‘Crazy-Prepared’ Valentine,” Eli sighed. “I suppose it’s a good thing that we managed to set up on an island in the uncharted Nexian Ocean; they’ll never find us, much less reach us. We can lay low until Purgatory gets tired of preaching, and then we just take it to her while she recharges.”

“Maybe _you_ can wait that long…but I ain’t so sure _I_ can.” Cipher scowled deeply as he held his head with one hand. “And unlike your average Nexian, _I_ know where you live. I’d recommend taking her off the airwaves sooner rather than later; I can’t be held responsible for what happens if she drives me as crazy as the rest.”

“He’s got a point,” Max added. “Even if they can’t find us, every person that falls under Purgatory’s control is another potential conscript to the Azure Initiative. Weiss will have more manpower than he could ever think to use; if it spreads far enough, he’ll effectively have the Nexus _handed_ to him!”

“Precisely,” Cipher nodded. “As tough as you may or may not think you are, even you lot can’t take on the whole _world._ I mean, sure, it looks like the Cathedral’s only gotten to a decent chunk of the Surface so far, but-”

“Just _tell_ us where the Cathedral is!” Tsuneo finally shouted from his seat, making Cipher grimace as he held his already-bound ears.

“Easy there, revenant; I have enough of a migraine as is…” Cipher took a slow breath through his nose before composing himself. “…She’s set herself up in a **Spatial Rift** somewhere up there.”

“Whoa whoa whoa…one sec…she’s in _space?_” Scafe questioned. “I mean, I love a good sci-fi combo as much as the next guy, but why is she setting up in _space?_”

“More importantly, _how?_” Tsuneo asked. “According to the astrologists we have here, there’s some kind of anomalous barrier a couple miles above sea level. Everything that tries to leave the atmosphere failed; how’d _she_ manage to get up there?”

“Beats me,” Cipher shrugged. “All I know is that she _is_ in some kind of spatial environment, and I have the coordinates to prove it. I’m sending them to you now, along with all the data I could scrounge up on the Cathedral itself; from there, it’s up to you.” As he spoke, a small ping alerted the Council to the incoming data files. “I _really_ wish I could give you a hand in bringing the ‘angel’ down to earth, but I think I’ll lay low until she learns to shut the fuck up.”

“Are you…gonna be okay?” As always, Brian’s concern for the wellbeing of others took the fore, but Cipher merely waved him down.

“I’ll be fine; I’ve got a plan to wait this out. Not like I have a choice, given the method… Once it’s over, call me; I’ll give you guys a lead on Weiss’s base of operations just for giving me some literal peace of mind.” The feline moved to terminate the communication, but paused to send a small smirk in Tsuneo’s direction. “…Give her temple a good desecrating for me, Bloodedge.”

The undead Councilman curtly nodded from his seat as Brian returned the gesture to Cipher. “Understood. We won’t let you down, the whole Nexus is counting on us.” He joined the rest of the Council in a cry of “**Society, out!**” before Scafe dropped the connection and reviewed the newly-arrived files.

“Eeyup…this looks like a legit lead…and those coordinates check out; it’s up there…somehow.” The dragon-man scratched his head as he made a printout of the coordinates for future reference. “So, once we get home and prep the team for a large-scale assault, we enter this in…and for all we know, there’s no going back.” 

“Chin up, Scafe!” Eli chided, doing his best to grin cockily despite his own unease. “The Cathedral can’t have been cheap to build; with their recent losses, this _has_ to be the Initiative’s all-or-nothing push. Weiss will _really_ be scrambling for a backup plan if we bring it down…especially if we can take out the local zealot and her pet psycho along the way!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Max said from his own seat. “I think we should focus all of our attention on said ‘zealot and her pet psycho’ for now. Like Brian said, she’s not going to make things easy for us; if that narrow escape was any hint, she’s already aware of Saturn’s demise.”

“Luckily, it’ll take some time to modify our teleporters for the trip,” Brian pointed out. “That gives us time to get the Society up to speed on this next fight…and I have a bad feeling that we’re gonna need _all_ the preparations we can get…” His gaze drifted over to Tsuneo as he spoke, the barest hint of unease stirring in his heart as he sensed his friend’s stormy mood…

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After returning to their island base, the Council immediately sent everyone to bed; as much as they wanted to take on Purgatory immediately, they knew that they’d need to be in top condition first. Despite their lingering concerns over the Cathedral, they did their best to follow their own advice; to their credit, their sleep was only slightly disturbed by their worries.

The next day, the Society was called to assembly immediately after breakfast, finding four of the Councilmen waiting for them. “Before you ask, Brian’s working on the teleporters,” Scafe said without preamble. “We’ve got our lead on Purgatory’s superweapon; once the Warp Pad’s been recalibrated, we’re going right to it.”

“First, though, we’re getting you up to speed.” Eli turned on the holo-display to reveal one of the premiere news channels on the Nexus, currently featuring a rather demented-looking host announcing the Crimson Society’s status as “kill on sight” amid ecstatic declarations of praise for “the one true Almighty, our Lord and Savior!” A flipped switch revealed other broadcasts gripped with murderous religious fervor; even the official renaming of Eukora Town to “New Iridu City” was slated to include the Society’s capture and public execution.

“What…the actual _fuck,_” Irene deadpanned.

“Is it just me, or has the whole Surface gone pro-Azure _and_ hyper-fanatical Catholic?” Juliet asked rhetorically.

“I believe that it has indeed,” Athena replied. “I assume this is the work of Purgatory and her ‘Cathedral’, then?”

“Precisely.” Tsuneo heaved a weary sigh as he put a contemplative finger to his head. “According to Cipher and a sleepless night’s speculation, the Cathedral is some kind of **Mass Suggestion Beacon**, releasing hyperfrequency soundwaves that don’t hit the ears so much as the back of the mind. Apparently, the phrases “_Glory To the Lord’s Divine Light_” and “_The Crimson Heretics Must Die_” are basically played on loop in your brain until you either go mad from the repetition or choose to believe it as truth.”

“Strangely enough, I haven’t heard _any_ of that in the back of _my_ head.” Max scanned the room, noticing looks of confusion and agreement among his friends; clearly, they hadn’t heard it either. “Certainly not _complaining,_ of course, but…why can’t we hear it?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Eli shrugged. “I like to think that the strength of our bonds is blocking Purgatory’s crazy rhetoric…cheesy, I know, but it’d make sense.”

“Or maybe it’s because we _know_ these words to be lies from experience; just like our eyes ignore the presence of our noses, our brains are ignoring these lies on loop.” Tsuneo rubbed his chin, no more certain of the answer than his friends. “The only real correlation is that connection to the Society itself seems to stem the effects, given that Cipher is the only one that comes to mind who hasn’t gone utterly crazy so far…”

“Who cares how it works? That just means we can take this fake-ass angel down a peg _and_ rub the fact that her mind control bullshit doesn’t work on us in her _face~!_” Dante punched his palm with a cocky smirk, only to be waved down by Scafe.

“We don’t even have reason to believe this was meant to target us directly,” the dragon-man said. “Purgatory likely understands our unshakable bonds, especially among the Council…so her plan wasn’t to stir discord among us, but to turn the world itself against us…”

“This…this is _unforgivable._” Irene clenched her fists as her wings went black. “I _hate_ things like indoctrination and mind control…so what’s the plan to destroy it?”

“Based on the data we got from the images, the Cathedral’s not that defensible…but based on what _we_ know about Purgatory, she’ll be more than ready for a ‘house call’.” Eli shook his head as he brought up a wide-view shot of the Cathedral on the screen. “She’s a tough cookie on her own, and she’ll have 1:30 as backup _at minimum_…but whatever’s in there can’t stop _all_ of us at once - I know that for a fact.”

“So…bumrush ‘em?” Dante grinned. “You’re actually reading _my_ mind now, boy~!” He cackled eagerly, rubbing his hands together. “I love this idea; how ‘bout all of you?”

Everyone else gave nods, chuckles, and even cheers of assent…save Tsuneo, who appeared lost in thought until a nudge from Scafe brought him to his senses. “…Huh? Oh…oh yeah, blitz tactics. That’d work perfectly on the two of ‘em; even big bad 1:30 can’t fight all of us together…”

“…You alright, bro?” Brian asked as he appeared at the doorway, having just finished calibrating the Warp Pad. As his best friend turned to face him, the spider-bunny couldn’t help but notice that he seemed…distracted, for lack of a better word.

“Yeah…I’m fine. Is the Teleporter ready?” Tsuneo’s serious, no-frills response prompted Brian to nod without even thinking. “Then let’s do this. Once Purgatory’s gone, Weiss won’t have a leg to stand on when we come in to finish the fight.” He brought up the rear of the group filing to the Teleporter room, only to be stopped at the door by Brian.

“Just a sec, Tsuneo.” The hybrid motioned for his fellow Councilmen to go on ahead as he addressed the revenant. “You _sure_ you’re alright?”

“…What makes you think I’m not?” Tsuneo’s voice was calm, but he did not turn to look at the spider-bunny.

“Look, bro…” Brian let out a slow, deliberate breath before continuing. “This has been a _long time coming_ for you - longer for you than anyone else - so I need to make sure that you’re not gonna do something _really_ reckless. I mean, I _know_ Tania’s been a sore spot, but I-”

“You haven’t actually been _betrayed_ by any of our former friends,” Tsuneo shot back, pure conviction in his tone. “Along with Scafe, Tania was the reason I got to meet you in the first place, and I owed her for that kindness. For a time, I’d have gone so far as to call her my closest friend in the Society outside of the Council…now, in her eyes, I’m the most damnable demon in the Nexus…” He tilted his head a few degrees downwards as he recalled the mutual respect between him and the paladin before her fanaticism and paranoia had come to the fore.

“I know how you feel,” Brian replied, his expression showing nothing but understanding. “No one in the Society takes betrayal well; lord knows you saw that firsthand when you had the courage to show up after months of absence-”

“But this is an _actual_ betrayal, _sir._” Tsuneo’s tone gained a mocking edge as he turned to regard his friend. “Tania gave me the friends I have now, and took it all away for a time. Even _you_ didn’t quite believe me about her until I showed you proof positive that she was the one instigating these disasters, thanks to Scafe vying for me to be brought back in line for how intent I was on seeing justice realized. If _he’s_ allowed to hang onto that hatred until our lives are actually in danger, you’ll permit me this vice and allow me to repay this woman for-”

“Absolutely _not._” Brian’s stern interruption caused Tsuneo’s veins to flare red. “We can’t afford to have any margin for error now that we’re so close to the end of the road, bro. We’re doing this by the book, taking her down as a _team_ because she _wants_ to isolate you! You **know** that ending you is gonna be her top priority…”

“And priorities are _one_ thing we have in common…that _you_ so often lack.” The sneering jab made Brian flinch long enough to let Tsuneo pull himself away. “You can fight at my side or be crushed under my heel…but you stand in my way at your own risk. One way or another, I’ll see this done…**_sir._**” He all but snarled the last word, his veins flickering black as he continued out the door to join the others.

Brian just facepalmed silently, trying to keep his composure as he followed his friend to the basement level, drawn out to house the massive teleporter platform. This pad was designed to take up to twelve users at a time, reducing the queue for teleportation trips. Gabe was already working the control panel as the first dozen Society members assembled on the pad.

“Alright, Trip 1 is a go!” Gabe pushed a button on the console to send off the first wave of Society members. Once the remaining people (including Tsuneo and Brian) were on the pad, he activated the timed teleport function and took his own place on the teleporter, allowing the automated systems to send them to Cipher’s provided coordinates.

When the light of teleportation faded, the Society discovered that Purgatory’s pet project had been well-named; a colossal edifice with an austerely commanding feel. The surrounding landmass was barely big enough to house the teleportation pad, forcing everyone to make quick steps onto the stairs before them. From here, they could feel the potent soundwave vibrating the stonework with every toll from the impressive central belltower; moreover, they could hear the message within the depths of their own minds.

**“Glory To the Lord’s Divine Light.”** Purgatory’s voice intoned the mantras with stoic gravitas, punctuating each with a deep “*BONG*” from the bell. **“The Crimson Heretics Must Die.”**

“Ugh…no wonder this is driving everyone mad…” Kuro rubbed his temples irritably as he and his friends climbed the staircase. “The sooner we shatter that bell, the better…”

“I agree…but don’t think Tania will make it easy,” Max warned. “She’s going to be well-prepared for our assault; be on your guard at all times.”

As the rest of the Society gave their assent - some also complaining about the ever-present mantra - Brian spared a sidelong glance at Tsuneo, who merely stared ahead with palpable determination. With nowhere else to go, the group walked up to the massive double doors, pushing them open to stare into the halls ahead…

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	2. Thirty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Society have reached the Cathedral and are caught in the fight with 30 Zealots -people who actually believed what Purgatory was selling- and 1:30.

## Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

### Chapter 9.2: Thirty

_Last time on _Tales of the Society_..._

_Fresh off their victory over Saturn, the Crimson Society were ready to begin their campaign against Purgatory…but the fanatical paladin struck first. Using her newly-completed superweapon, the “Cathedral”, she drove the citizens of Neo-Tokyo into a murderous frenzy directed entirely at the Society; luckily, our heroes were able to escape without any casualties on either side._

_En route to their base, the Crimson Council called up Cipher to get his intel on Purgatory’s base. The mysterious feline informed them that the Cathedral used hypersonic signals to turn all who heard it into anti-Society religious fanatics; worse yet, it was spreading across the Surface at a frightening rate. Faced with the prospect of the entire Nexus being turned against them, the Council resolved to stop Purgatory as soon as possible…especially Tsuneo, who was particularly sore about being betrayed by one of the first friends he made on the planet. _

_The morning after the battle with Saturn, the Council assembled their friends and explained the situation. Once Brian recalibrated the Warp Pad with coordinates provided by Cipher, they teleported to a mysterious space pocket containing the Cathedral. Still unaffected by the fanatical mantras (although they can certainly hear them now), they now advance into the unknown, hoping to stop Purgatory’s plans before she brings the whole Nexus under Weiss’s control…_

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“Y’know, I’m no expert on religious buildings, but…I was kinda expecting Purgatory’s evil lair to be a bit…_shinier,_ I guess?” Emily looked around with a mixture of confusion and disdain; the halls were large, but surprisingly bare of any decoration or distinguishing features.

“Remember that she would’ve built this in quite a short _time._” Despite the usual quip, Tim’s expression was grim as he scanned the area with every step. “She probably opted for function over form here.”

“Looks can be deceiving, too,” Gabe added. “If this place is advanced enough to broadcast brainwashing signals across the Nexus, it’s got some _serious_ tech hidden away. For all we know, this stone is just a veneer to hide all of the vital systems…”

“Probably,” Matt scowled. “Just _begging_ us to try and bust up a wall or two…which, of course, would bring the whole damn Cathedral down on our heads. Maybe even _literally_.”

“And even if it didn’t, it’s probably also keeping this Spatial Rift stable; if this place goes down, I don’t even wanna _think_ about what’ll happen if we’re stuck in the anomalous field out there.” Tsuneo winced slightly at the thought. “For now, we should focus on taking care of Purgatory, 1:30, and whatever else she’s got hiding in here; we’ll have time to shut down the Cathedral once the owner’s out of commission.”

Eli nodded along with the rest of his friends, only to pause as a sound reached his ears. “Hold up, guys; I think someone’s coming.”

The group ducked behind a low wall as the sound of heavy footsteps drew near. Peering from their hiding place, they saw something much more in-line with what they’d expected from Purgatory; a small group of men moving down the gloomy hallway, dressed in full-body armor from various eras. Their plate mail was solid black with golden details, including a large golden cross on their cuirasses; the overall image was a dark mirror of the ancient Knights Templar. Much like Purgatory, they all gave off a holy aura despite the dark steel encasing them; unlike her, their stances were more robotic than disciplined, as if someone had _actually_ shoved brooms up their asses.

“Who the hell _are_ those guys?” Juliet hissed as loudly as she dared. “They feel like her, dress like her, but they don’t seem as…_lucid_…as her.”

“Perhaps they’re fellow members of her order?” Tim quietly suggested. “I recall mention of something like that on her profile at headquarters…”

“Doubtful. Look at their stance.” Eli motioned to the approaching knights, noting their heavily stilted, almost exaggerated straightness, and the nearly perfect pace they kept. “Doesn’t look like they were _trained_ to be this way; look at the variation in their armor. Purgatory probably indoctrinated them even _before_ the Cathedral…so…”

“They’re the cream of the crop for her ‘holy’ army; her handpicked **Elite Zealots.**” Tsuneo nodded to the others as he spoke. “They’re either sympathetic to her cause…or they’re so far gone that they’re moving more out of instinct than anything. Either way, that means they’re fine to end; they’re too dangerous to live for the former, and we’d be giving them mercy from the latter.” Ether swirled around his fingertips to form one of his Solaris Daggers, an orange glow overtaking the fuller of the blade.

“Easy there, Tsuneo,” Max cautioned. “We don’t know how many more of them Purgatory’s got on-call; if we blow our cover now, there could be a whole lot more than seven of these blokes.” 

“This place isn’t that big, though,” Juliet noted. “There couldn’t be more than fifty on site without these halls getting congested…and we got this far without being seen. We’re probably better off axing them all before they can group up.” 

“Yeah…unless that’s what Tania’s _expecting_ us to do,” Scafe muttered. “She’s not the type to ignore the possibility of us gunning for her directly.”

“And Tania expected her holy protection would make sure she’d never be seen as a villain; a zealot’s mind doesn’t always expect the obvious,” Eli argued. “Besides, the last thing we need is to lose track of a group in such a small place; they could ambush us from other routes if we get seen later. And, just in case you didn’t notice…we aren’t exactly the stealthy sort.” He indicated Dante, who was eagerly thumbing the switch of his beam katana and waiting for an excuse to attack.

“Alright, fine; we’ll-” Brian’s budding plan was interrupted by a sudden yell of “INTERLOPER!”, giving him just enough time to duck under a javelin aimed right for his head. Unbeknownst to the Society, one of the Zealots had spotted Brian’s long ears from the other side of the wall; after alerting his fellows, they had quickly drawn their gilded weapons to attack the threat.

“Hark! Vile Crimson Heretics! A grand _party_ of them!” A knight with an impressively horned helmet pointed his mace towards them, his voice booming in the empty halls as electricity crackled off the blunted ball.

“Great, _Magic Knights_…” Tsuneo groaned.

“We are **Paladins,** ignorant Demon of Blood!” The retort came from another of the Zealots, this one distinguished by a winged helm and a cross-marked claymore comparable in size to Max’s favored weapon. “Repent and rejoice; this Cathedral shall be your grave!”

“I see she warned you of _me_ in particular.” Tsuneo chuckled to himself as he and his friends emerged from their cover. “So tell me… How do your odds look, holy man? 18 against 7 tells us you’re not ready.”

“Better…than you…think…NeverDead…” The voice that answered Tsuneo’s question came from the other end of the hallway; deep, raspy, and horribly familiar.

“Ohh, fignuts…” Brian turned to see 1:30 stomping around the corner, accompanied by four more Elite Zealots. Heavy chains with alternating gold and dark grey links were hooked on the brute’s spines, horns, and tentacles, wrapping around his torso and limbs like improvised armor.

“How…amusing…” he growled, cracking his knuckles menacingly. “You heretics have come…to the gates…of heaven…to face your…final…judgment…”

“More like _bringing_ the reckoning to you and your dark mistress,” Hanna countered smoothly. “I see that dear Tania insists on saving herself for the climax of the story rather than cutting it short by facing us herself.”

“Do not accuse the Lord’s Herald of cowardice!” One of 1:30’s attending knights - a woman, by the tone of voice - brandished her halberd threateningly. “She is communing with the Almighty himself, praying for the enlightenment of his misguided flock!”

“Uh-huh, _sure,_” Zs snarked sarcastically. “And my boyfriend didn’t try to claw my eyes out in a spar last month.” She ignored the double-takes from a few Society members as the assembled enemies visibly tensed at the jab.

“Well, at least we still have the numerical advantage…right?” Brian’s hopeful question earned him an elbow to the ribs from Irene as several more Zealots assembled behind the first group; now, there were 30 in all reinforcing Tania’s demonic servant. “Ngh… Why do I open my big mouth…?”

“It’s fine, sir…” For once, Tsuneo chose not to snark at Brian’s verbal misstep. “We’ve trampled harder foes before with less men; we can _do_ this!” He bolted toward the first group in a surprise flash, tossing the other half of his Solaris Daggers, the **First Blood.** It caught in the facial slit of one knight’s helmet, shocking the two beside them. The small blade glowed brilliantly red as Tsuneo grabbed it, using it as leverage to flip overtop the paladin, twisting their head a full 100 degrees to snap their neck. His veins surged brightly once he touched down, the First Blood dissolving and reforming into the Proto-Reaper with enough speed and force to impale one of the other Zealots; at the same time, Tsuneo lunged at the final knight, jabbing them in the neck with his orange-lit dagger, the **Last Light.**

“GO!” Tsuneo’s order sounded like a starting gun as he dragged the other hooked paladin over, slamming him into his stabbed friend and throwing the pair into the backup behind them. The dagger buried in the third knight’s throat quickly exploded, scattering the other warriors with the blastwave. Seeing their chance, the rest of the Society ran past, slamming Zealots against the walls as they bolted through the opening in their ranks. They all piled into the wider chapel area, with JoJo and Dante slamming the doors shut; Tavo quickly used his magic to bar the door with some of the pews.

“Well, so much for stealth and numbers, eh?” Dante’s sarcastic comment went unheeded as everyone used the reprieve to ready their weapons; save Tsuneo, who milled around the back of the chapel, scrutinizing everything as if searching for something.

“If my count was correct, that leaves us 28 to 18…” Max thought aloud. “We’re still outnumbered, and they have 1:30’s muscle to help press the advantage. Even with Tsuneo taking three of ‘em down, we’d still be dealing with more than we bargained for…”

“So let’s prepare our counterattack.” Irene pulled out Becquerel and crouched down to focus her aim at the door. “Everyone, get your range ready; the moment they break through, open a can of hell’s own fire right back at em!”

With collective nods, Brian, Becky, Juliet, B.Nana, Tavo and Gabe all lined up with their projectiles of choice at the ready. They waited with bated breath as the double doors were rocked by a series of loud and heavy blows; the barricade shifted visibly, but held firm as the knocks stopped. The Society barely had time to exhale before the unmistakable roar of 1:30 assailed their ears, heralding a mighty strike that smashed the doors wide open in a shower of splinters and pews.

In an instant, the Society opened fire; Brian unloaded a huge laser cannon, Becky cast a barrage of icy needles, Juliet threw handfuls of knives with surprising speed, B. Nana chucked an entire basket of Fruit Bombs, Tavo unloaded his magnum, Gorgoroth spat fireballs, and Gabe threw explosive dodgeballs. As the barrage kicked up a cloud of dust and smoke, Irene pulled the lever on Becquerel’s loading chamber, causing the underside to hum and glow as she waited for the right moment.

When the ranged assault finally paused, several Elite Zealots came charging out of the dust, weapons raised as they let out a terrible battle cry…just in time for Irene to pull the trigger, releasing a powerful blast that dispersed the dust near-instantly and sent the knights spiraling into the walls around the entryway. When the Society’s ears stopped ringing, they looked at the entrance to see the results of their opening volley: not nearly as much as they’d hoped. Irene’s delayed blast had put down another six Zealots, but the rest were clustered behind 1:30 without so much as a scuff on their armor. The chains encircling his body glowed faintly as the beastly murderer lowered his arms from his face; it seemed that they had absorbed most of the damage, allowing him to tank the opening barrage for his allies.

“Destroy those insolent heathens! CHARGE!!!” The Zealot with the winged helmet shouted, sending their fellow paladins rushing in; in turn, the Society’s melee fighters quickly surged past their ranged team to meet them head-on in the wider space. As they clashed in the middle of the room, Tsuneo searched the altar in the back, finding a switch underneath the holy scripture. Once pressed, the back door of the chapel room swung open, and Tsuneo rushed through without so much as a glance behind him.

“Where the _hell_ is he going!?” Eli’s call made Brian look back just in time to see the hidden door sliding shut; seconds later, Tsuneo appeared on the rafters high overhead, making a beeline for the belltower. By process of elimination, Purgatory _had_ to be there, along with the source of her _magnum opus_; a fact not lost on either Brian or Tsuneo.

“Tsuneo, stop!! You’re just playing right into her hands, we went _over_ this!!!” Seeing that his call was falling upon deaf ears, Brian quickly vaulted over most of the Zealots, catching a stomp on 1:30’s head to reach the nearest wall and begin scuttling up towards the walkway. “I SAID **STOP,** DAMMI-” His angry pleas turned into a shout of frightened surprise as Tsuneo’s veins flashed black, matching the color of the huge ethereal fist that smashed into the wall right next to the spider-bunny.

“I _will_ have my revenge, Brian. I told you once before; you stand in my way **at your own peril.**” Tsuneo’s voice betrayed no remorse as the construct detonated to send Brian sailing into another wall, narrowly missing the decorative windows on either side with a pitch-black burn on his vest.

“Ngh…dammit all.” The hybrid Councilman swore as he slid to the ground, sending another ache through his backside. “Everyone, stomp those Zealots, double time! Tsuneo won’t wait for us, so we’ll have to pick up the pace!!”

“Oh gods dammit, Tsuneo...” Irene gritted her teeth as she dove into the fray, flying in close to blindside the warriors locked in melee with her friends. Everyone was busy trading blows; Emily’s kicks punctured armor and shields, Matt’s scythes and Zs’s machete clashed with the blade users, and Tim was outright flynning with the saber of a more wiry-looking paladin. Still reeling from Tsuneo’s sucker punch, Brian didn’t notice 1:30 until the demon was almost upon him, both hands raised to hammer him into the stonework.

“Oh fignuts-” The fists were inches from Brian’s ears before they were seized by a pair of familiar white tentacles; Zuula had leapt upon 1:30’s back for the last-second save. “Whew…thanks!”

“_Cutting it close, though…_” Zeus’s growl was equal parts relieved and annoyed. “_Do you _ever_ pass up an opportunity to see someone scared outta their wits, Zuula?_”

“Nope~” Zuula’s eye seemed to gleam with amusement as she dropped from 1:30’s back, sliding between his legs while her tentacles dragged his arms behind her. Once she was in front of him, the tug of her tentacles forced the fiend’s body into the air, allowing her to land a point-blank Thunder Clap to blow him into the wall nearby.

“Leave this murder fiend to me,” she said. “I have a score to settle with him.”

Shaking off the last of his dazed shock, Brian ran off with a nod, leaving Zuula to face down 1:30. Predictably, the murderous monstrosity was barely fazed by the previous blow, his chains clanking as he rose to his feet.

“So…we finally meet face-to-face.” Zuula’s grin was undimmed, but her usual clicking was replaced by a ferocious growl. “At long last, I can show you the difference between a feral beast and a _true_ predator!”

“Grrr…RRRRAAGGH!” 1:30 roared as he charged in, swinging his tentacles like whips to meet Zuula’s own. “CARCANOD!!! YOU WILL JOIN THE LIST…WITH THE _REST_ OF THEM!”

“Ooh, don’t think I’ve _forgotten,_” Zuula hissed. “How many was it again? 50? 50 of my brethren you mercilessly slaughtered?!!”

“THEY WERE WEAK! LIKE _YOU!!_” 1:30 spat back. “THEY CALLED THEMSELVES PREDATORS, YET THEY ONLY KNEW THE **TRUE** MEANING OF DEATH WHEN IT **CRUSHED THEM IN THEIR PITIFUL SHELLS!!!**”

Growling furiously, Zuula went for a punch, striking 1:30 right in the jaw. He was pushed away by the forceful blow, spitting up blood before lumbering back towards Zuula, the glow in his eyes slowly brightening.

“Why them?!” Zuula demanded. “What _was_ it about the Carcanods that made you want to commit mass genocide?! My kind is near extinction because of you!!”

“I told you…they were WEAK!!!” 1:30 punctuated his retort with fierce white beams from his eyes, forcing Zuula to sidestep them. “Her Holiness put it best… The Lord rewards STRENGTH!!! The strong INHERIT THE EARTH!!! If one man alone could kill 50 of your people…THEY DID NOT _DESERVE_ TO LIVE!!!” His voice rose as he broke into a full-on sprint, hands and tentacles raised for a grab. “BY DIVINE WILL, THEIR FATE IS TO BE **FORGOTTEN!!** AND _YOU’RE_ ABOUT TO **JOIN THEM!!!**”

That comment hit a nerve for Zuula; an unearthly shriek tore out of her throat as she charged towards 1:30 with a shoulder tackle. The monstrous serial killer met the enraged Carcanod head-on, catching her between his burly arms even as her momentum sent them skidding across the chapel. Zealots and Society members scattered as Zuula pushed 1:30 all the way into the opposite wall with a crash; however, his enchanted chains absorbed the impact as he drove his knee into her stomach, hard enough to crack her shell.

“Do not…fret,” the murderous number rumbled. “Once you die…you will rejoin…your wretched race… I’ll even…give you the…royal treatment…and put you on…the top…of the list…just above _Tyukoka._” He punctuated the taunt with another knee to Zuula’s midsection, but the Carcanod didn’t even feel it; her mind was fixed solely on the name 1:30 had just said.

“Hh…how dare you……how _dare_ you say that name!” Zuula’s eye flashed brightly enough to light up all three of her sockets at once. “Don’t you _DARE_ say his name!!! I WILL **NOT** HEAR MY BROTHER’S NAME FROM HIS MURDERER’S MOUTH!!!” Her tentacles thrashed violently before 1:30 restrained them with his own.

“YOU DON’T HAVE A CHOICE IN THE MATTER!!!” the bloodthirsty fiend bellowed, adjusting his grip to try and lift Zuula higher. Despite her predicament, the Queen of the Hunt’s voice dropped to normal volumes as her fury reached a rare boiling point.

“1:30…how quickly you forget…” she growled. “I have something…you don’t… Something to…_overcome_ your sadistic wrath…”

“Let me guess…integrity…? Heart…? Compassion…?” 1:30 responded mockingly. “Which of these…pitiful responses…will be…your dying words?”

“None of the above…although I _do_ have all three,” Zuula answered. “What I _was_ going to say…what I have that you don’t…...is _two extra tentacles~_”

Before 1:30 could respond, Zuula’s bottom tentacles slammed into his ribs, causing the murderous monster to roar in pain and lose his grip on the Carcanod. Once she was back on the ground, Zuula struck her foe with a flurry of tentacle whips, followed by a fierce Thunder Clap. Even with his chains guarding him, 1:30 staggered from the brutal attack, growling furiously as he glared at his enemy.

“You…YOU WORTHLESS FREAK!!!” he roared. “I WILL **RIP YOU APART** UNTIL THERE IS…Nothing…Left…?” He trailed off as a strange tingle ran through his body, making his limbs feel first heavy, then numb. “W…W…_What?!_” A note of panic came to his voice as he found himself completely immobilized. “I…I can’t move! Why can’t I move!?!?! WHAT HAVE YOU _DONE_ TO ME?!” 

“_This_ is what a Carcanod can do in a _fair_ fight, 1:30~” Zuula chuckled as she showed her tentacles to the monster; specifically, the faint yellow glow on their tips. “We can channel magic through our tentacles, giving them special properties to help us in the hunt. When they turn yellow like this, they secrete a fast-acting numbing agent - in other words, I’ve completely paralyzed you~”

“IM-IMPOSSIBLE!” 1:30’s snarl was equal parts terrified and enraged as Zuula stalked up to him, cracking her knuckles with palpable relish.

“And now…since I have you here…_let’s have some **fun** together~!_”

With her signature sick laughter, Zuula unleashed a brutal beating on the immobilized 1:30, delivering punches, kicks, scratches, tentacle whips, and more, in the name of her fallen brothers and sisters. As the paralysis began to wear off, she grabbed 1:30’s neck with her tentacles, hoisting him upward; after several brutal punches to his stomach, she grabbed him by the leg and slammed him into the ground.

“N…nrrh…” To Zuula’s surprise, 1:30 slowly began to stir. Although the beating had all but shattered his chains and covered his body in bruises, cuts, and his own blood, he just seemed to be getting angrier. “Grrr… You….you……you fucking……shell-headed _bitch…_”

“Tsch…I wasn’t expecting for you to still have some fight in you…” Zuula cracked her neck with an exaggerated groan. “But you seem to be rather worse for the wear~ Perhaps you should surrender and accept your fate, no~?”

“You…think you’ve won?!” 1:30 barked. “This…isn’t over until ONE…OF US…**DIES!!** And I…will make sure…THAT DEATH WILL BE **_YOU!!!_**”

“Ha ha ha ha! A perfect response - I will enjoy this hunt to the last~!” Zuula’s jovial clicking sharply contrasted the flash in her eye as 1:30 rose to his feet. “Die as you have lived, cornered beast - lashing out in pointless rage!”

“HAHAHAHAAAA!” 1:30’s gave a crazed laugh of his own that rang throughout the chapel. “YOU FOOL!! I HAVE…ONE…LAST…TRICK…OF MY OWN!!!” His tentacles writhed behind him, their tips appearing almost _spear-like_ in the ambient light. “The pain of _others_…gives me…satisfaction…but _my_ pain…FUELS MEEE!! Hahahaha…allow me…TO DEMONSTRATE!!!!!!

Zuula tensed as 1:30 raised his claws, but her wariness turned to shock as he turned them on himself. He slashed at his own face and chest, leaving long, bloody scars; at the same time, his tentacles began stabbing his shoulders and legs. Soon his skin was more red than green from his self-inflicted wounds, matching the roiling aura that formed around him. His tentacles lengthened and sprouted an array of spikes as his eyes went from sickening yellow to searing red. 1:30 gave a terrible, ear-shattering roar as the aura around him erupted into a pillar of sanguine light that shot straight up to the ceiling, releasing a strange cloud that rapidly engulfed the entire chapel.

“Whoa! What the actual _fuck_ was that?!” Matt’s yell of confusion rapidly faded to nothing as Zuula guarded her face against the crimson miasma. When the roaring died down, she found herself in a completely different area: a barren wasteland dotted with rocky spires and little else. A howling wind soon picked up, obscuring the pale red sky with dark grey clouds that began raining a red liquid with a familiar smell. 

“Is…Is it…raining blood…?” Zuula cocked her head with apprehensive curiosity, unsure where she was or how she had been brought here, but her attention was soon diverted by a familiar beastly roar; 1:30 was stalking towards her, the only other being in the entire expanse. 

“YEEEESSSS…MUCH BETTER!!!” The abominable brute dragged his tentacles across the ground, leaving long scars that quickly filled with the blood raining from above. “THE WORK…OF HER HOLINESSSS…IS NO LONNNGEEER…IMPEEERIL..EDDD…” His voice visibly slurred as he went on, as if the words were becoming harder to form. “SH..SSSHHEE..GGA...GAAR..D..SH..SHE...D..DIIEE! _DDIIE!!_ Y..YOU!! **DIIIEE!!**”

_Shit!_ Even Zuula was taken aback at the look in 1:30’s gaze; the definition of feral madness. _I think he’s losing what little sanity he has left!_

“NOUU! N-NUUOOUU YU DIE!! **NOOOOUUWW YYOOOUU DDDDDEYYEEIIEEEE!!**” With a sudden burst of breakneck speed, 1:30 tackled Zuula right off her feet. The Carcanod’s efforts at defense were futile; the maddened demon easily forced her arms apart and pinned them down with his spiked tentacles as he began punching her face, visibly cracking her shell with every blow. Zuula attempted to counter with her own tentacles, but 1:30 leapt off of her and dashed away the moment he saw them twitch. Nevertheless, this allowed Zuula to rise, her shell covered with cracks and holes; notably, the armor over her face was completely shattered.

“F…Fucking…hell.” For once, Zuula’s worried expression was fully visible as she wiped her exposed brow with a tentacle, dusting away a few shards of her shell in the process. “That…self-inflicted pain…is a hell of a drug; he’s so much stronger and faster now. Head-on combat won’t work…so I’ll have to take the sneakier route.”

As 1:30 charged once more, Zuula darted aside as her tentacles reached for his left leg. In response, the demon whipped around to fire a blood-red eye beam at Zuula’s chest; on impact, it detonated fiercely to send the Carcanod flying across the bloodied landscape. 1:30 didn’t even wait for his target to land; he caught up to her mid-flight and smashed her into the ground.

“Ghhuuh…” Zuula groaned dazedly as 1:30’s tentacles flicked her almost contemptuously, sending her out of the small crater she had made with her body. The laser burn on her chest ached dully as she landed on her front, but she snapped back to full awareness when she felt a powerful grip on her uppermost pair of tentacles. “N-NO! DON’T YOU _DARE!!_”

“KIII111LL!!! K11111LL!!! **DDDDIIIEE!!**” 1:30 punctuated his roar with a mighty tug on Zuula’s tentacles, eliciting a pained screech from his victim before he stomped one foot on the small of her back. With the added leverage, his next yank tore the tentacles right off of Zuula’s back in a spray of subdued yellow blood. Zuula’s screams of agony rang out across the wasteland as her severed appendages spasmed in her tormentor’s grip; with even the anchoring bones torn out of her, they looked almost like alien serpents as 1:30 tossed them aside.

“**HHHA HA AAH AH HA HAH HHHAAA_AARRAAGGHH!!!_**” The Azure Initiative’s resident demon laughed savagely as he stepped back to drink in Zuula’s tortured writhing. “SSS55UFFFE33ERRR……_BLLL33EED_………**D111EEE3EE!!!**”

Despite her grievous injuries, Zuula managed a weak chuckle of her own as she struggled to her feet. _That arrogant…bastard……he’s just…**toying**...with me now…_ Gazing at the incarnation of torture and brutality before her, she was suddenly aware of the crawling sensations at the very pit of her stomach. She knew the feeling well, having spent all her life inflicting it in others…but she had never thought that it would ever bare its fangs to _her_ in turn.

_Heh…what do you know? Fear is…a fickle master…and even…the Queen of the Hunt…is afraid to die……but…_ Her flickering eye flashed as something occurred to her. _…Is it truly…_death_…that I fear?………I wonder……_

The tips of Zuula’s remaining tentacles developed a dark blue tint as she raised them to her own battered visage. 1:30 cocked his head slightly, but otherwise made no move to attack; whether he was perplexed by her intentions, thought she’d lost her mind, or was too enraptured by her visible weakness, Zuula neither knew nor cared.

_Now then……what is it…Akutavara~?_ Even amid her understandable apprehension, the Carcanod felt a familiar swell of euphoria; the anticipation of using her race’s signature technique. _…What scares…the ultimate scare-bringer~?_

With that, Zuula thrust her tentacles into her own head, their colored tips phasing right through her skull. Her pupil shrunk as she drifted into her own psyche, finding the image of a ceremonial altar from her home in the Lost Pit. Upon the altar lay what appeared to be a massive male Carcanod, but the wind whistling through its empty features betrayed its true nature: an empty husk completely devoid of any living flesh. From the void around the altar came a smaller Carcanod with the faintest beginnings of a shell; Zuula’s own younger self. A soft, clicking whimper escaped her lips as she saw the husk upon the altar.

“F-Father…I’m sorry…I couldn’t do it…!” she cried out. “This is just…a hunt I can’t finish…even one for the scourge of our kind……F-f-forgive me…I’m not worthy to be Queen of the Hunt……”

As the young Zuula wept, more empty shells began to appear; the husks of her fallen brothers and sisters. They piled up around her as she fell to her hands and knees, overcome with despair at her failure. Zuula’s present self could only watch in somber silence; while the mental projection of her consciousness still had a shell to conceal her frown, it couldn’t hide the oily tears that slid from her eye sockets as realization dawned.

“Ha…hahaha…_now_ I get it…” she chuckled weakly. “I fear not death…but _dishonor._ My people…my father…the thought of failing you all…of not living up to my name…that is my greatest weakness…my greatest fear… Hahaha…how utterly ironic. The Mistress of Terror…denies her own fear…”

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from Zuula’s mindscape as the image before her dissolved into nothing. “_Zuula… Take it from me, girl: even big bad brooding tough guys are afraid of something - otherwise, I’d be calling Tito on all his bullshit. There ain’t nothing to be ashamed of in admitting that you’re scared. …You wanna know why you lost?”_

_The mindscape began to brighten as a new image appeared before Zuula: the aftermath of her first battle with Brian. The spider-bunny was on a knee before the defeated Carcanod, his expression showing only understanding and respect as he extended a hand in friendship and answered his own question._

_“You think that fear is a weakness that holds us back…that _can_ be true, but only if we _let it. Remember these words, Zuula…our fears reveal what we care about most.” 

Zuula’s past self was still and silent for a long moment as she digested Brian’s words. Finally, she raised her head and accepted the offered hand, allowing Brian to help her to her feet. The present Zuula chuckled to herself at the scene, feeling a new resolve welling up within her.

“……Hehe…were you _always_ this sentimental…?” As she echoed the words she had said at that moment, Zuula’s chuckle rose to a full hearty laugh. ”Heheheahahahaha…Thank you, Brian~ I now know…what I must do.”

With that, the Carcanod finally snapped back to reality to see 1:30 drawing closer, his patience finally at an end. “NOONNOOUU! UUUU **DDDDIIEEE!!**” He swung his claws towards Zuula’s unshielded face, but both of his arms were seized by her tentacles; two held his elbows while the other two wrapped around his wrists. The deranged beast tilted his head in confusion as Zuula began clicking deviously, tightening her tentacles around the monster's limbs to the point of crushing ligaments and bones.

“You know, 1:30…fighting you has really opened my mind to something…” she began. “I had always thought that being afraid was a sign of weakness; and so I hid behind a veil of bravado, acting like I wasn’t afraid of anything and belittling anyone who thought they were above fear…” She gave 1:30’s arms a harsh twist to interrupt his attempt to blast her with his eye beams.

“But in the end…_everyone_ is afraid of something. Brian…Tsuneo…Tavo…Becky…Dante…even I myself. The one who reveals everyone’s fears…the Mistress of Nightmares…even _I_ can know fear…imagine that~”

“KIILL...KIILLL…KIIILL!!” Ignoring the growing pain in his arms, 1:30 attempted to lash at Zuula with his tentacles, only to be swung around into a nearby boulder. 

“But now I fully understand what Brian told me long ago…_our fears reveal what we care about most._” Now it was Zuula’s turn to stomp on her foe’s body, keeping him pinned with a surge of newfound strength. “Fear **isn’t** a weakness…if we’re strong enough to _defy_ it instead of _deny_ it. Courage isn’t the _absence_ of fear…but the determination to fight _in spite_ of it. And right now…my courage is telling me…TO BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOUR CURSED BODY FOR ALL OF MY FRIENDS ON THE NEXUS!!!”

With that shout, Zuula’s tentacles constricted hard enough to completely break 1:30’s arms. The demon roared in pain as he finally escaped Zuula’s grip, seemingly unable to comprehend his foe’s newfound defiance as she advanced on him menacingly. Her tentacles whipped at the monster, inflicting even more excruciating jolts of pain with their red-glowing tips. He wildly lashed his own tentacles in Zuula’s direction, but she was able to dodge the blind swings even in her weakened state.

“You…have a _lot_ of nerve…pissing me off…” Zuula’s voice was devoid of any amusement as her assault slowly forced 1:30 back. “You killed my people…attacked my friends…slaughtered innocent lives without rhyme or reason…undermined my title…and now…you _**dare**_…_rip off my tentacles_…” Her eye flashed wickedly as she let out a terrible, menacing cackle. “Oooooh…have you forgotten who you’re messing with?! _Allow me to spell it out for you!_” She wrapped her tentacles around 1:30’s ankles, repeatedly slamming him on the ground to punctuate her next words.

“I! AM! ZUULA! _THE QUEEN! OF THE **HUNT!**_ After her slamming spree, Zuula pulled 1:30 close enough for her to seize his ankles with her hands as well as her tentacles. She then wound up a massive hammer throw that sent her nemesis soaring across the wasteland, tearing a long gash into the ground when he landed.

“RRRRRRR…**GGRRRRUUURRRRRRRR!!!**” Despite the damage inflicted on his body, the furious glow in 1:30’s eyes only seemed to intensify further as he forced himself back to his feet. With a bone-chilling roar of utter hatred, he turned to make another charge at Zuula…

…only for two tentacles to bury themselves in his eyes, tearing them out with a savage ferocity. 

“_Iyakatika...Vaz Tu Gatok…_” Zuula’s clicking took a particularly guttural tone as she spoke in her native tongue. “That’s Carcanod…for ‘**go fuck yourself!**’”

Even in his battered, blinded state, 1:30 was fully aware of what was going on and more enraged than ever…but something was stopping him from expressing it. “N..NO…NOO! G..GET _BACK!_” His voice regained a semblance of coherence as he began to scrabble away from Zuula, blindly flailing his tentacles in pure, raw terror. “I…I DON’T…I DON’T…”

“Ooooooh, what’s the matter, 1:30? You’re not…_scared,_ are you~? Hehehehehehe~!” Zuula laughed maniacally as she advanced on the terrified beast, dodging the odd tentacle lash as she backed him into a particularly large rock spire.

“N…NO! DON’T…_DON’T COME ANY CLOSER…_ P…**PLEASE!**”

“Hehehe…this must be a familiar scene~” Zuula spoke with sadistic cheer. “I’ll bet you saw this with every murder…not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot, eh~? Oooh, don’t worry…I won’t kill you……_yet~_ Instead…” Her sick grin widened as she raised her tentacles, the tips regaining their dark blue hue.

“_I want to see what the big bad monster himself fears…!_” 

Giving 1:30 no chance to protest, Zuula jabbed all four of her remaining tentacles into the sides of his head, causing him to scream in pain as she dove into his psyche. Within the mindscape, however, Zuula was in for a surprise: instead of a demonic being she expected, she found a muscular human male with dull grey hair and a strange clock-shaped necklace. Between the tattoos on his arm, the scars on his cheek, and his bloodshot eyes, he was every bit the image of a hardened street thug…save for the way he grovelled on his knees, looking nothing short of petrified.

“P…Please, I beg of you! H-Have mercy on me! I…I never wanted to kill anyone!” The man raised his hands pleadingly as a number of figures surrounded him. Their bodies were roiling, shifting masses of shadow, but their faces were as clear as day; Zuula immediately recognized the faces of the Crimson Council leering at the man with uncharacteristic venom. 

“You’re gonna diiiiee, Wiiicck~” the Brian lookalike gleefully sang.

“Save a spot for us in Hell, will ya?” the Tsuneo double chuckled darkly.

“Hmph…there ain’t a place in Hell good enough for a freak like you…” Scafe’s image snorted.

“This isn’t business, **Wick Straton**…this is _personal._” The visage of Max stated stoically.

“I’d _say_ it was nice knowin’ ya, but…” Eli’s doppelganger shrugged exaggeratedly. “…Mama Buena didn’t raise no liar, ya know~?”

As the shades of the Council mocked the man, the others only berated and shouted at him, the shadows forming all manner of awful wounds on their bodies. Zuula realized that these were 1:30’s past victims; the ones who had died to give him his current name and motto.

“WHERE WAS _MY_ MERCY?!”

“WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!

“DO YOU THINK WE _DESERVED_ THIS?!”

“YOU’RE GONNA GET WHAT’S COMING TO YOU!!”

“N-NO! Please!!” Wick begged. “Y-YOU CAN’T! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! _I DON'T WANT TO DIE!_” He curled into a ball, as if trying to hide himself from the accusations and mockery, only to uncurl when the sound of deep, heavy footsteps was heard. His fearful gaze shifted upwards up to a much, _much_ larger figure towering over the rest; to Zuula’s amusement, it was exactly who she thought it would be.

“...Hello, Wick Straton~” The titanic image of Zuula bellowed out a booming, clicking laugh as she grabbed Wick in her colossal hand. “Welcome…to **DIE!!!** Her mouth opened wide to reveal a blazing sea of fire; even as a mental projection, Zuula could smell the brimstone…

“**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!**” Wick’s image cried out in mortal terror as Zuula returned to reality, finding 1:30 giving the exact same cry. His scream was silenced by Zuula forcing him to the ground with a solid kick.

“Hahahaha…so _that’s_ what you fear, huh~?” she gleefully mocked. “You’re scared of dying…or rather, what’ll happen _after_ you die~? Hahaha…how very ironic. A man responsible for so many senseless deaths…is afraid to meet his fate in turn~”

“Y…you don't…understand…” 1:30’s next words were not in his usual demonic timbre; instead, he spoke similarly to his old human self, Wick Straton. “D…D…Do you know what happens…when you die? N..Nobody knows! Is there an afterlife? A _Hell_…? Is it nothing but darkness? …I…I didn’t want to know! I can’t…I _can’t!_”

“And so you pledged yourself to the so-called paladin…” Zuula clicked contemplatively as the pieces came together. “She promised you immortality as long as it was spent in servitude, eh~? Not a particularly good deal from my view…”

“They were out to get me…_all of them!_” 1:30 responded frantically. “They could have killed me! _Anyone_ could have killed me! I…I had to do it…I had to…to protect myself… I…I just don’t want to die…”

“…You sad little man…” Zuula shook her head with a hint of genuine pity. “You killed all those people out of paranoia……you thought there was a target on your head, so you put them down to save your own hide…”

“I-I couldn’t…I had no-”

“No, Wick,” Zuula interrupted coldly. “You _had_ a choice…but you gave into your own fears and damned yourself as a result. And now…the reckoning has come.” She spoke matter-of-factly, but her fists trembled hard enough to loosen a few more shards of her ruined shell. “No holy penance will save you from your sins, Wick…now, honor the memories of those whose lives you extinguished by facing your fate like the man you wish you could be.”

“So….it’s inevitable then……My death…..was destined…after all…” 1:30 gave a soft, bitter laugh as his rage and desperation gave way to weary acceptance. “Ha…ha…haha… I guess…I always knew…deep down…it would end…this…way…” His bloodied eye sockets twitched as he felt Zuula adjusting her stance, preparing to stomp right through his chest. “Zuula…wait……Before…you do this………”

Still not used to this level of calm from her soon-to-be victim, Zuula hesitated. “…What is it?” 

“There are people…who did _this_ to me… …They have observed…my actions…for a long time…” Wick’s voice was raspy and strained now, quieted by the approach of death. “They…gave me this number…this form…this _curse_…as the first…phase……When I die…they will come…in droves……to do…_far_ worse…than what…I could have…_ever_ done…” His warning was punctuated by the shudder in his failing breath; despite herself, Zuula’s curiosity was piqued.

“…Who are…_they?_” she asked.

“**Clockwork…**…they call themselves…Clock..work…” Wick made a noise somewhere between a gasp and a gurgle as the last dregs of his life drained away, mustering just enough strength to feebly touch a tentacle to Zuula’s ankle. “…You must…s..stop them…please…” 

Zuula was silent long enough that Wick thought she was going to let him bleed out, but she eventually nodded to herself and said, “Don't worry, Wick…my friends and I will make sure that they’re soon to join you in Hell~” Her wicked grin returned as she added, “Oh, and on that note…do remember…when you reach your final destination…you’ll get _exactly_ what’s coming to you~“

With that, Zuula drove her foot right through the numbers on Wick’s chest, crushing his heart under her heel. The demonic murderer gave a last choked whimper before his body went completely limp and rapidly decayed to nothing; around Zuula, the scarlet rain came to a halt as everything seemed to dissolve into fog. When the clouds parted, she found herself back in the Cathedral’s chapel - an instant later, Brian all but glomped her, almost beside himself with relief.

“_Nice of you to finally rejoin us, Zuula. You look like hell._” With Brian occupied by the thoroughly-unmanly blubbering that followed his initial greeting, Zeus took it upon himself to ask the obvious question. “_What the _fuck_ did the brute put you through while you were…wherever?_”

“Therein lies…_quite_ the horror story…Zeus~” Zuula’s clicking laughter gave way to a wince of pain; with her adrenaline fading, her serious wounds were quick to reassert themselves. “For now…Irene, can that healing ability of yours rebuild my shell? And…maybe grow a pair of new tentacles~?” Despite herself, she couldn’t hide her amusement as Irene approached her, clearly trying not to throw up as she saw the extent of the damage.

“We were all surprised when you up and vanished after 1:30 went all Wolverine on himself…but it cost the Zealots their tank.” Scafe motioned behind him, where the corpses of the evil knights were scattered across the floor. “We can catch our breath here while Irene fixes you up; after that, we can chase Tsuneo. Best not to split up anymore, in case Purgatory has any _more_ surprises…”

“I hate to rush you, Irene, but the faster you work, the better,” Max noted grimly. “As it stands, Tsuneo will be fighting Purgatory _alone…_ and thanks to their past spars, they know each other’s moves by heart. Throw in her holy powers, and…well, she might just be the only one who can _threaten_ him in a fight to the death.”

“_Hell_ no! He’s the _NeverDead_ for a reason!” Brian’s quick, emotional response came almost as a shout as he finally pulled away from Zuula. “He’s gonna come out of this fine, just like always! Maybe a little beat up…okay, probably a _lot_ beat up…but he’ll make it! He _always_ does!”

“Then why are you so scared?” Zuula mused softly amid her unsteady breaths; while painless, the sight and feeling of her shell rapidly regrowing itself was a curious sensation. “If you’re so sure he’ll survive…why fear the impossible?”

Eli patted Brian’s shoulder to try and get him to calm down, but he lightly shoved the chinchilla away as he looked Zuula in the eye. “…Because she’s the exception,” he finally whispered back, touching the black scar on his vest. It was a stark reminder of his friend’s single-minded drive to destroy his former friend; a drive that could very well be the _true_ end of him…

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	3. Duel of the Damned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuneo and Purgatory fight to the death.

## Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

### Chapter 9.3: Duel Of the Damned

_Last time on _Tales of the Society_..._

_The Crimson Society’s attempt to shut down Purgatory’s mind-controlling superweapon hit a snag…actually, make that _31_ snags, in the form of her minions. 1:30 was no surprise, but he was backed by thirty Elite Zealots, apparently the few people on the Nexus who _actually_ bought what the mad paladin was selling. The Society was quick to engage, but Tsuneo soon abandoned the fight to seek out Purgatory, going so far as to attack Brian with his Shadow Fiend powers when the spider-bunny tried to stop him. Caught off-guard, Brian was left open for an attack from 1:30…_

_…only for Zuula to engage him one-on-one, seeking vengeance for 50 of her brethren slaughtered at the demon’s hands. She seemed to have the upper hand on the Azure murderer…until he unleashed the full force of his cursed powers. Teleported to a hellish pocket dimension and beaten to the brink of death, Zuula finally knew **fear**…or so she thought. Looking into her own mind, she realized that what she truly feared was _failure_; specifically, a failure to live up to her title and avenge her race’s slaughter._

_Between this revelation and the memories of Brian’s wisdom about fear, Zuula found a second wind that let her turn the tables on 1:30, unveiling his own fears of his fate after death. In his final moments, 1:30 - rather, **Wick Straton** \- revealed that he had killed out of paranoia…until a mysterious organization called **Clockwork** gave him the curse that made him into the monster he is today. However, that’s a story for another time; right now, the Society needs to catch up with Tsuneo before the threat of _actual_ death finds him…_

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Tsuneo had expected quite a fight as he blazed a trail through the upper levels of the chapel, only to find the direct opposite: there was absolutely no resistance on his way to the Inner Sanctum, right under the belltower. This was the only truly opulent part of the entire Cathedral; the light from outside illuminated vast halls lined with gilt detailing and impractically massive windows with images made of multicolored glass. A mere glance at the images was all Tsuneo needed; they told a story of his target creating a planet-wide utopia with the help of her Lord. _Didn’t peg her as the type for **fairy tales…**_

Putting the sneering thoughts aside for now, Tsuneo pushed open the final door to find his quarry at last. She was kneeling in front of a truly gigantic altar, combining traditional marblework and advanced technology. Several large gemstones across its surface lit up in sequence; soon, the entire back wall was illuminated by an unsettling blue aura. In a rare bout of sportsmanship, Tsuneo threw a ball of Ether to shatter the nearest window and get Purgatory’s attention.

“…Blindly destroying that which you refuse to understand…your hersey knows no bounds.” The self-proclaimed “savior” spoke with resigned exasperation, her armor clanking softly as she rose from her kneeling posture. “Tell me, Demon of Blood…did you _enjoy_ having me cast out? Stealing that which never belonged to you, taking justice into your corrupt hands, and forcing our friends to-”

“Save it, Judas.” Tsuneo’s interruption prompted Purgatory to gasp aloud, whirling around to face him as he strode into the room. “You have no right to talk of justice when your twisted views endanger _everyone._ What savior only brings destruction to all, even and _especially_ those she leads? You’re more a danger to the Nexus than any of your comrades, even Chrome Dome.”

“Hmph. That merely shows the depth of your ignorance.” In contrast to her earlier outburst, Purgatory’s voice was eerily calm as she drew her sword. “Salvation is _earned,_ demon; the penitent must prove their sincerity through suffering. The Cathedral is the _Nexus’s_ penance; its holy mantras shall- ”

“Spare me the symbolism, Tania,” Tsuneo growled. “This is nothing short of _mind control_…and I have no interest in allowing this charade to go on any longer. Face me like the ‘_honorable_’ sort you claim to be; strike me down in the name of your toothless god; prove that your dedication to the faith was worth **betraying the man who trusted you most!**” The Reaper Blade manifested in his hand, bearing an unusual dark tinge that didn’t escape Purgatory’s notice.

“Ahh…your rage betrays you. You call on your full might in desperation to forestall your demise…and so your darkness is laid bare for all to see.” A gleam of light passed over Purgatory’s blade as she pointed it at her foe, before swiping it backwards to create a huge wall of light before the altar. Tsuneo dropped to the ground as another wave of light came blazing at him; upon impact with the floor, it created an identical wall behind him.

“There shall be no retreat this time, _demon_. This **Martial Barrier** prevents entry or exit; it will only fall at my command…or my last breath.” Apart from a hint of fanaticism leaking into her stern tone, Purgatory was the very image of discipline. “With my very _life_ as my wager, the Lord’s power at my back, and the heavens themselves as my witness, I vow that this holy ground shall be your _tomb!_ This _will_ be our final battle…and you shall _feel_ the power of my faith!”

“Then show me what your faith has given you,” Tsuneo rumbled. “Show me the light you claim to be right, and take this life if you _can,_ Valentine!!!” He broke into a headlong charge, the sword in his hand aglow with bright red energy. Purgatory retaliated with a vicious sideways strike, knocking Tsuneo off-balance. His reeling could've fooled anyone else, but she immediately swung hard left with the ornate knife in her other hand, catching the revenant’s own offhand knife against its blade.

“Come now, demon, stop being so _predictable!_” The taunt heralded a swift boot to Tsuneo’s ribs, causing him to back off as his dagger evaporated. Purgatory rushed after him, sword raised for a wild overhead swing; however, the NeverDead slinked to one side, grabbing her helmet with his free hand and slightly cratering the stone floor when he slammed her into it face-first.

“Likewise, stop playing around!” Tsuneo tried to jab his blade into Purgatory’s back while she was down, but she evaded the blow by slipping out of her helmet. Tsuneo backed away from his foe as he scanned her newly-exposed face. It was the same face he remembered from their spars long ago; sickly blue veins across pale grey skin, dull blue eyes with black sclera, and a strange mark on her forehead resembling a vertical line with a blue circle in the middle.

“Well, that certainly isn’t the face of what _I’d_ call an angel…” Acting on a sudden impulse, Tsuneo removed his mask in turn, showing Purgatory the face she’d never seen herself. His normally grey eyes were aglow with the red light of his gathered Ether as he locked his gaze with hers. “To make this fair for us both, I’ll watch you die with my _own_ eyes, Valentine.”

“That wish shall _never_ be fulfilled, demon!” Purgatory charged once again, putting Tsuneo on the backfoot as their blades clashed at least three times a second. _She’s getting faster by the second…must still be warming up._ Unable to find an opening in the relentless assault, Tsuneo kept his patience as he blocked and dodged every swipe, stab and strike.

“This is almost like old times, Tania…makes your betrayal hurt all the more.” The revenant smiled eerily as he switched to his Titan Cleaver, catching both of his opponent’s blades on the huge sword. “I know what hurts more, though.” His gaze darkened as he stepped past Purgatory, catching her in the back with the flat of the sword - the roiling Ether in the empty middle of the blade cleaved two huge gashes in the back of her armor.

“_That you are not the angel you wish you could be._” Tsuneo’s tone darkened next as he followed up with a powerful overhand strike, but Tania’s quick swing knocked the massive blade off-course as she shoulder-tackled him off his weapon. She repeatedly stabbed him in the gut with her knife, only backing off when the blood on her hand began cutting up the gauntlet considerably. She quickly discarded it and the knife, watching the glove fall apart at the screws and leather seconds later.

“Believe your delusions to the last; I am angel enough to put an end to your reign of terror!” Purgatory’s next charge was forceful enough to smash Tsuneo against the Martial Barrier, his back tingling unpleasantly from the proximity to its holy power. Despite having the wind knocked out of him, the undead warrior quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding impalement from the mad paladin’s sword; his attempt to summon another weapon was interrupted by the need to catch a retaliatory backhand, wincing at the difference in force. Pulling her sword from the barrier with ease, Purgatory took another swipe at Tsuneo’s side as he dodged away from her, slashing out a part of his jacket in the process.

“Heh… You’re actually landing some good hits, Tania…” Tsuneo chuckled darkly, his unnerving smile widening as he stared back at his former friend from just out of sword reach. “I haven’t had this much fun in _years,_ not since our last spar… You really were the only one who could keep up with me when I got serious…” He sighed in what could _almost_ be called regret. “But this is not the old days…this is the _last_ day.”

Purgatory narrowed her eyes as the Death Spinner manifested on Tsuneo’s wrist, spinning menacingly like a buzzsaw. “Your weapons have changed, heretic, but your mind is the same as ever. I will _not_ be bested!” She rushed at him once more, but the spinning blade suddenly lashed out at her, forcing her to skirt around her foe as he put the range of his new weapon to good use. At last, she spotted an opening amid a wider swing and rushed for it, but found that was exactly what he wanted; the lash came right back to plant the blade in one of the gashes on the back of her armor.

“Ah ah ah, Tania…” Tsuneo chided playfully as he looped the Ethereal tether around the paladin. “You’re getting hasty, making mistakes now…” He pulled on his tether, trying to force her towards him, but Purgatory planted her feet and stood her ground, the remains of her armor easily resisting the line’s cutting force.

“Don’t give yourself that much credit,” she scoffed. “The Lord works in mysterious ways…” She twirled her sword to slash the tether apart, causing it to fizzle away like a candlewick…or a burning fuse. Her eyes widened as she belatedly realized her error; an instant later, the Death Spinner exploded into a storm of blades on her back. Although she covered the back of her head and neck with her remaining gauntlet, her torso armor fell to pieces after that.

“Hmph…your power has not waned since our last meeting, demon…” Purgatory growled as she darted back, sword held in a defensive stance as she checked for any lingering “surprises” on her body. In the process, Tsuneo glimpsed a large blue gem embedded at the base of her neck - however, he soon had bigger concerns as a familiar radiant glow enveloped her sword.

“I had hoped to quash your foul hubris through my skill alone…but I have clearly underestimated the strength of your evil force!” The paladin of the Azure Initiative pointed her sword straight down, making it resemble a cross as its glow grew ever brighter. “A demon such as you…deserves to feel the Lord’s wrath in _full!_” Despite her apparent vulnerability, the light emanating from her blade radiated tangible force, keeping Tsuneo from approaching her.

_Well…so much for the warm-up…_ The undead Councilman could only shield his eyes from the light, gritting his teeth as he realized what was coming.

“O Lord who art in Heaven, heed my fervent prayer!” Purgatory’s ponytail fluttered upwards as she raised her sword over her head. “This humble servant of your Divine Will beseeches your favor; lend me your light, so that I may banish this agent of evil from this world! LET HIM _REAP_ THE DUE REWARD FOR HIS SINS!!!” With a mighty roar, she drove her sword into the ground, releasing a brilliant pulse of energy as she summoned her holy magic.

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Back in the chapel area, Zuula’s recovery was almost complete; Irene was taking extra care with her tentacles, since, in her words, “I can tell just by _looking_ that this is probably gonna hurt like hell, even with my magic.” Never one for idling, Zuula had taken the opportunity to bring the Society up to speed on her duel with 1:30 - more specifically, his allusion to the ones who gave him his monstrous form.

“So…1:30…rather, Wick…” Brian started. “Wick’s curse was the result of this…‘Clockwork’?”

“Correct.” A brief flicker of her eye was the only indication of Zuula’s discomfort as her upper-left tentacle regenerated. “A dying man has little to hide, so I believe that he was telling the truth…which means that we could have another threat on our hands once the Initiative is dealt with~”

“Why am I not even _surprised_ that you’re looking forward to that?” Eli shook his head incredulously at Zuula’s eagerness to fight a new enemy.

“_Hmmm…Clockwork…_” Zeus trailed off as he looked at one Society member in particular. “_I don’t know why…but I feel like Tim might know something about them…_”

“Honestly, Zeus, I expected _better_ of you.” The pegasus-man crossed his arms with an exaggerated sniff. “Linking me to that group just because of my chronomancy and a knack for _timeless_ humor…I’d be rather irate were it not partially true.”

While most of the Society expressed their distaste for the usual pun, Gabe did a double-take at the last addendum. “Wait a minute…‘partially true’…? _Do_ you know something about this ‘Clockwork’ group?” he asked slowly.

Tim frowned, but any response he was planning to give was interrupted with a yelp from Irene. “For the love of- _easy_ there, Zuula! You just regrew those - I wouldn’t flail them around like that!”

“You undersell your abilities - I feel as good as new~” Zuula clicked in amusement as she flexed her regenerated appendages, finally back to full strength. “Shall we proceed with our ‘angel’ slaying, then?”

“Fuckin’ _finally!_” Dante cried. “Tsuneo’s probably kicked enough of Tania’s armored ass that there won’t be anything left for me- err, the rest of us!” His cocky smile quickly faded as most of his friends gave him a collective glare. “Right, sorry…just tryin’ to psyche us up…”

“Somehow, I don’t think that motivation is in short supply, Dante.” Athena indicated Brian, who was already scaling the wall to reach the rafter he had seen Tsuneo run across earlier. Irene was quick to follow, flying above the rafters before opening up a portal to let the others bypass the climb up through the secret entrance. As soon as they rounded the corner to head further up, they were greeted by some familiar faces; the three Zealots Tsuneo had slain in their initial skirmish. Their lingering mortal wounds did nothing to stop them from giving a distorted cry of “DIE, HERETICS!” as they advanced with their weapons raised.

“HOLY BALL-BUSTING DETHKLOK!!!” Tavo screamed. “ZOMBIE PALADINS!!!”

“Huh…I thought those guys were dead…” Emily tilted her head quizzically. “Does Purgatory have a secret stash of Hostile Parasites or something?”

“No…” Hanna put one hand to his temples, pointing the other at the Zealots. “I sense something…_unnatural_…about their souls; it’s as if they’re _fragmented_ somehow…”

“I'd know more about that than anyone else…” Kuro muttered, drawing a pitch black scimitar from a small Abyssal Rift as his golden eyes shone brighter. “I'll be blunt; we don't have time for this, so let's rip these fools apart and get moving…”

Irene bit her lip as she joined her friends in attacking the revived Zealots. _We’ll be there soon, Tsuneo,_ she thought. _Hold on until we can reach you…please…_

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Sometimes, Tsuneo _hated_ being right.

He had known Purgatory was holding back from the start; whether from some demented sense of honor, her overblown pride, an attempt to embarrass him, or some combination of the three. Now that she was using her magic against him, it was all he could do to _survive,_ much less fight back.

Pillars of pure white fire burst from the ground as dozens of light bolts rained down from above, somehow managing to feel both random and targeted. It was nigh-impossible to so much as _approach_ Purgatory now; the few times Tsuneo tried, a burst of holy power from his foe had forced him to abort his attack.

“Is that all you have, demon!?” Purgatory’s voice boomed over the clamor of her ceaseless magic barrages. “You _dared_ to defile my pristine Cathedral, trod upon this holy Sanctum, _sullied_ the name of the Lord Himself…and _this_ is all you can muster before His light!? **Has it _finally_ quelled your blasphemous arrogance!?**”

“Don’t get cocky, Tania…” Tsuneo gritted his teeth as his blade reformed into his Violent Claws, allowing him to navigate the assault more efficiently. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve!” He made a sharp turn to cleave past the mad paladin at blinding speed, gashing her bare stomach with his claws; to his dismay, the wounds healed a mere instant later. “…Apparently, so do you.” His furrowed brows betrayed the frustration behind the deadpan amendment.

“The Lord protects His faithful from those who would seek to lead them astray, demon.” Having adjusted to Tsuneo’s sudden speed boost, Purgatory made a charge of her own; although she couldn’t quite keep up with his movements, her holy bombardments forced him to divide his attention between her sword and her projectiles. As such, the NeverDead was forced into a fighting retreat of sorts, dodging each vicious swing while watching his back and furiously reviewing his rapidly-dwindling options.

_Well, this sucks,_ he thought. _I can barely land a hit, and what damage I _do_ inflict is healed off in seconds. Delusional or not, her holy magic’s a game changer - I need a workaround, and fast!_ He grimaced, both from a stray bolt just barely grazing his cheek and the thought of the only “workaround” that came to mind in this situation…

_Physical damage clearly isn’t working…but I have something _other_ than that, and it’s hard to become more of an antithesis to holy magic than… Well, I’m glad my friends aren’t involved now…_ Tsuneo was pulled out of his thoughts when Purgatory’s sword finally got a clean hit on his face, causing him to reflexively grasp the wound. She tried to capitalize as he reeled back, only to be forced away in turn by a large black spike of condensed Ether.

“Ngh…_fine._ You wanna _play_ this game, Tania? You want to see the _real_ monster?” Tsuneo lowered his hand to reveal a nasty slash across his face, with one eye split clean open. The gruesome wound was quickly obscured by a roiling blackness, mirroring the darkening of his visible veins. “**You’ll live _just_ long enough to regret that wish.**”

Purgatory narrowed her eyes and raised her sword in a defensive stance as a massive wave of darkness erupted from Tsuneo. The summoned light constructs were dissipated on contact, but the Azure paladin was simply forced back as an almost primal roar shook the very foundations of the Cathedral. This did not go unnoticed by the rest of the Society, even as they cut down the newest wave of revived Elite Zealots.

“Irene…I’m _hopefully_ just having traumatic flashbacks here, but…did you hear what I just heard?” Brian looked around to see his question confirmed; everyone had heard the terrible sound. Their expressions all showed varying levels of terror, but none more so than Irene; the moment her ears stopped ringing, she rushed ahead of the others as fast as her wings could carry her.

“_Tsuneo!!!_” Her cry echoed as she entered the Inner Sanctum with her friends close behind, all seeing what they feared was going to happen; Purgatory facing off with Tsuneo as his body was enveloped in Black Ether. Although his stance was much less feral this time, the air of menace about him was unmistakable…and Purgatory couldn’t help but laugh as the rest of the Society came to a stop just behind her Martial Barrier.

“Ahahaha…at last, _vindication!_” Although her voice was filled with savage triumph, the Azure paladin’s stance didn’t falter an inch. “Do you see, heretics? I was right all along; your so-called friend and leader _is_ a demon. His true self is exposed under the light of the Lord; see how he stands before us, wreathed in the Devil’s own energy?! You can no longer deny his sins, Crimson Society…but I can _absolve_ them!” With a fierce battle cry, she broke into a dead sprint; ahead of her, the corrupted Tsuneo did the same.

**“RRRRGH!!!”** His claws merged with his entire hand as he swung widely, ghosting through his enemy’s blade to slash at her torso. Had it been a normal strike, Purgatory’s chest would’ve been torn open, but just like before, the only mark it left was a fierce black scar that billowed eerie black vapor. However, it lasted for all of four seconds before the blackness faded away, provoking an irritated snarl from the darkened revenant.

“How pathetic… I already told you, demon dog; the Lord _protects_ those who would lead His followers astray.” Purgatory’s next laugh was mockingly amused. “Your tainted power strikes body and soul alike…but it is _useless_ against divine favor! It guards my spirit, foul demon…and empowers me to _purify_ YOURS!!!” She rushed in once again, pouring all of her effort into her swordplay instead of her wide-ranging spells. Tsuneo continued to dodge around each slash, cycling through his corrupted weapons to strike where he could…but none of his attacks lasted. Every scar vanished in seconds, the leaking vapor seemed to retreat back into Purgatory’s body, and blows that had made Clusterfuck screech in pain didn’t even make her flinch.

“C’mon, man! You can do this!” Eli yelled in between attacks directed at the barrier preventing him and his friends from coming to Tsuneo’s aid. The rest of the Society was similarly occupied, but their efforts were for naught; their blows were absorbed into the barrier like pebbles thrown into the ocean. JoJo had even reverted to his “Grey” persona to use his stronger shadow spells against the wall of light, and they barely even scratched it.

“Save your breath, fool!” Despite taking the time to mock Eli’s efforts, Purgatory’s attacks only intensified. “This was decided before it even began - no demon can withstand the light of the Lord!”

**“Listen to yourself, False Prophet…you sound just like me.”** Tsuneo gave a double-toned scoff at his foe’s ranting. **“It’s a snowy day in Hell when my vessel and I can come to an agreement, but your hypocrisy has managed it. You’re just as much a monster as I am…and deep down, somewhere beneath the suffocating layers of denial and delusion…_you know it._”**

“I am no monster, Demon of Shadow; _I am the will of God Himself!!!_” As Purgatory redoubled her assault, the undead warrior realized that his plan had backfired rather spectacularly. He had pushed the paladin’s buttons to cloud her mind with rage, but it seemed to have _focused_ her instead. Her aura of holy power was a miniature sun at this point, repelling the Black Ether with proximity alone; her blade tore through Tsuneo’s claws and weapons, destroying them outright instead of phasing through like so many others.

“Please, _stop this!_” Irene screamed hysterically as she slammed her fists into the barrier, too distraught and horrified to even consider using her powers. Around her, some of her friends were continuing their fruitless attacks - Brian was buried up to his waist in the semi-corporeal remnants of his drawn-up attempts to circumvent the arcane wall - but most were simply watching the scene before them, whether out of exhaustion, despair, or morbid transfixion at the impossible rapidly becoming all too possible.

“Irene…I…I’m sorry.” Max slumped beside his sword with grim acceptance; he knew a lost cause when he saw it. “We tried to warn him…Brian even tried to stop him… No one wanted this to happen, but…we all _knew_ it would.”

“NO! It can’t end like this! It can’t! It……it _can’t_…” Irene’s legs gave out beneath her as the helplessness and tears overwhelmed even her desperation. “I finally get a break and then _this…_”

“_…So, that’s it then?_” A familiar voice echoed in the pyromancer’s head, but she did not respond. “_You’re just going to stand there and watch it happen again?_”

_B-But…I can’t do anything this time…he’s…he’s going to…_

“_No. You _can_ save this one. You have the tools this time…just do what I would do._”

_…What _would_ you do?_

“_…Risk everything._”

Irene snapped out of her thoughts as a horrible sound pierced her ears: a double-toned scream of pure agony. Purgatory had finally scored a direct hit, cleaving Tsuneo’s jacket open before impaling him right through the existing gash on his chest. As the dark Ether rapidly dispersed, Irene saw black blood dripping from Tsuneo’s front, slowly reddening as he was pulled off of the blade. Fighting back a surge of hysterical panic, she took a few steps back, trying to focus herself for her last desperate plan…

“Hah… Your time has come, Demon of Blood… Your accursed life is forfeit!” Purgatory’s next slash dispersed the remains of the Black Ether, sending Tsuneo staggering back into the barrier across the room from his stunned friends. Their shock and horror only grew when they noticed the dark vapor hemorrhaging from the revenant’s wounds, crawling along the floor and absorbing the spilled blood into itself. Purgatory tightened her grasp on her sword as the fog expanded before her, taking a monstrous new form resembling a massive bipedal wolf. Its body was abyssal black, save for three blazing red lights; two eyes on its “face” and an unnatural flame in the center of its chest.

“Hmph…you’ve been forced to take your true form…and yet you _still_ resist your fate? That defiance will be your undoing!” Purgatory’s threat barely registered to the Society; their collective gaze was fixed on the broken figure just barely visible behind the new entity. He feebly reached for his ravaged chest in silent shock before slumping against the barrier, his veins fading away completely.

“TSUNEO!!!” Brian’s scream could be heard throughout the Cathedral as realization dawned upon him; his gaze shifted from his friend’s listless body to the lone flame in the new figure’s chest.

“This is no time to be _napping,_ you rotten son of a bitch!!” Scafe’s indignant roar couldn’t mask his growing fear. “Get up, bro, _get up!!!_”

“I’m afraid that Tsuneo isn't there anymore…his last vestige in this world lies with the very demon that tormented him.” Hanna punctuated his glum remark by pointing out the flame as well. “That entity is the Shadow Fiend itself, taking physical form to fight for its very existence…the climax of a grim tragedy.” He couldn’t help but recall a perfectly apt quote for this dire situation. “_And with strange aeons…even death may die…_”

“**_SILENCE,_ YOU PITIFUL SPECTER! YOU SPEAK OF THINGS BEYOND YOUR KEN!**” The Fiend’s retort was an erupting volcano, but its fury carried a definite note of desperation as its blazing glare returned to Purgatory. “**YOU SHALL _NOT_ SLAY ME, FALSE PROPHET! I _CANNOT_ DIE! _DARKNESS CANNOT DIE!!!_**” It leapt at the paladin with an unearthly howl, every inch of its body erupting with claws, fangs, and tendrils of roiling darkness…

…only for the blade of a radiant sword to pierce its head, holding it aloft even as its body went limp.

“Your destruction was inevitable, _demon!_” Purgatory roared the condemnation as she yanked the blade out of the Fiend, leaving it to fall to the ground in a shapeless heap. “By the will…of the Lord…all sins…are forgiven…_expelled…**and PURGED!!!**”_ She punctuated her words with a series of fierce slashes, her sword blazing ever brighter as it tore into her fallen adversary. For the coup de grace, she stabbed the very center of the convulsing darkness, forcing the Society to look away as the arena seemed to literally explode with light.

When the glow faded enough for them to look back, there was no sign of the Shadow Fiend, save for the scarlet flame hovering over the hilt of Purgatory’s planted sword. Contrary to the Society’s expectations, the Azure paladin neither laughed nor ranted in the wake of her triumph; instead, her face showed only stoic satisfaction.

“At last……it is done.” Purgatory’s voice was almost soothing in tone as she knelt before her sword. “Your soul is cleansed; the next world awaits.” She crossed herself as a soft light enveloped the “flame”, causing it to shrink rapidly. “_Requiescat in pace_; may you one day learn that the Lord is-”

“**BULLSHIT!!!**”

Irene’s yelled blasphemy shocked Purgatory out of her reverie as a portal opened above her. The paladin had no time to react as the NeverTed dropped onto her back, holding on for dear life as it tried to draw its blade. With Purgatory distracted, Irene set another portal in front of her, focusing on Tsuneo’s fading soul; a moment later, she reached through and pulled out the latter.

Tavo’s jaw dropped. “Wh-what the actual-”

“_Not_. Now.” Irene didn’t even look at the bewildered pony or her similarly baffled friends; her gaze was fixed squarely on the “flame” in her hand. Although it was no longer enveloped in light, it was visibly flickering and sputtering; a candle on the verge of being extinguished. Without hesitation, she held her free hand over her own chest and turned her powers inward, seeking the same warmth she felt in her grasp; soon, a larger orange flame emerged into her waiting palm.

“Irene…if you’re about to do what I think you are…you’re far braver than I.” To Irene’s complete lack of surprise, Hanna was the only one to understand her intentions. “There’s no going back after you do this; you’ll save his life…but he’ll be **linked** to yours forever.”

“…Nothing would make me happier.” Although the pyromancer’s voice and nod were firm, she couldn’t hide a small smile as she slowly brought her hands together. Threads of white light jumped between the two flames, binding them to each other as the smaller one began to grow brighter. Seeing Irene struggling against a growing pressure between the souls, Hanna summoned small spirit chains to wrap around his ally’s hands; with the extra assistance, she was able to fully push the souls into each other, feeling a pulse reminiscent of a tiny explosion against her closed palms.

When Irene opened her hands, she found herself staring at a single soul, larger than its components and as white as freshly fallen snow. With a tremble of anticipation, she returned the flame to her body just as Purgatory finally managed to throw the NeverTed off of her back; it barely regained its bearings in time to see her sword coming down on its head.

“Eugh…such a vile thing…” Purgatory grimaced as her strike cut the teddy clean in half, spilling all-too-organic innards over the floor. “There are no bounds to your depravity, are there?” Her disgust gave way to a smug smile as she began walking toward the altar. “Still, I should thank you; by releasing my paladins’ souls from their corporeal forms, they have ascended to my sanctum, where they will live on to give power to the Lord…and to me.”

“…The altar!” JoJo cried, pointing to all the glowing gemstones on the strange pillar across the room. The Society followed his gaze, save Hanna, who reeled back from the sheer energy of so many concentrated souls.

“Correct,” Purgatory said. “Loath though I am to deny them their rightful places in Heaven, their work in this world is far from over. With the strength of their inner light, the Cathedral will bring the glory of the Lord to the entire Nexus…and _destruction_ to all who seek to defy His will!” She let out an exhilarated laugh, holding her sword over her head triumphantly. “Hahahaha! Repent while you can, Crimson Society - _your end is nigh_!”

The Society tensed as Purgatory neared the barrier…only to stop when she caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head, muttering inaudibly as she looked again, but there was no doubt about it; Tsuneo’s fingers were twitching.

“Wh…what in the name of the Almighty!?” The paladin backpedalled, her sword held defensively, as Tsuneo grabbed the nearest pew for support. A dull red glow returned to his veins as he slowly dragged himself to his feet; shaken in both body and mind, but undeniably back in action.

“H-how…? HOW!?” Purgatory bellowed. “I slew your darkness; cleansed your evil soul! There should be nothing left! _You should be dead_!!!”

“Heh…say it with me, everyone.” Despite his own lingering confusion, Tsuneo chuckled a little as flames licked his bare torso, mixing with his usual Ether as the Reaper Blade appeared in his hand. “I am…**The NeverDead.**”

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN** _**-** _


	4. The Heavens Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsuneo is back in the fight, with some newfound power to boot.

## Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

### Chapter 9.4: The Heavens Fall

_Last time on _Tales of the Society_..._

_While his friends fought off 1:30 and the Elite Zealots, Tsuneo reached the very heart of the Cathedral: the Inner Sanctum, equal parts control room, arena, and Purgatory’s personal place of worship. The evil paladin wasted little time in confronting her one-time friend and ally, setting up a Martial Barrier to ensure that this _would_ be a duel to the death. Using his myriad combat skills and long-held rage towards Purgatory’s betrayal, Tsuneo seemed to have the upper hand as he slowly dismantled his arch-enemy’s armor; unfortunately, this only convinced her to start using her holy magic against him._

_By the time the rest of the Society caught up - delayed by Zuula’s recovery, speculation over 1:30’s final words, and attacks from the (sort of) resurrected Zealots - Tsuneo had been pushed into a corner by Purgatory’s double-whammy of divine light and increasingly lethal swordplay. In desperation, he unleashed the Shadow Fiend within him, to little effect - its Black Ether failed to faze Purgatory, and its attempt to rile her up only fuelled her relentless offensive. Soon, the impossible happened…the NeverDead fell. His body was broken, the Shadow Fiend was dispelled, and his soul was seconds away from being forced into the afterlife…_

_…which was when Irene intervened. A timely distraction by her NeverTed allowed her to retrieve Tsuneo’s fading soul and merge it with her own, permanently linking their lives together. Now, just as Purgatory was preparing to celebrate her apparent victory, Tsuneo has risen again with a whole new fire…possibly _literally,_ at that. However, the bound souls of the Zealots have brought the Cathedral - and Purgatory - to full power; will Irene’s gambit allow Tsuneo to stop the mad paladin before it’s too late?_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save for the faint hum of the gems adorning the altar, the Inner Sanctum of the Cathedral was completely silent as everyone took in the impossible sight before them. They had seen Purgatory strike Tsuneo down, destroying the Shadow Fiend and extracting his very life essence…and yet, here he was, rising to his feet despite the even deeper hole in his chest. In fact, it seemed as if he was even _better_ than before; his expression was surprisingly relaxed as he rolled his shoulders and looked down at his bare torso with curiosity.

“…Credit where credit’s due, Purgatory…that hurt like _hell,_” he began. “But _you_, of all people, should know who you’re dealing with here. Everything that’s ever tried to kill me has only managed to **piss me off.**”

“I…i-impossible…” Purgatory shook her head as vigorously as she could without taking her eyes off of Tsuneo. “I _destroyed_ you, demon! I consecrated your accursed body with divine light; I slew the embodiment of your dark power; I _felt_ your very life essence being drawn into the next world! There is _no_ possible way you could have survived that!”

“Hell, we all _saw_ it happen and _we_ still can’t believe it,” Eli noted through his flabbergasted state. “Despite all of that…” He glanced at Irene, who seemed torn between shock and exuberance.

“It…It worked…? It actually…_worked…?_” The pyromancer suddenly let out a squeal of joy as she took flight, circling around the bewildered Society’s heads like a drunken bee. “IT WORKED! IT WORKED! AAAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! BY THE NINE, IT ACTUALLY FUCKING **WOOORKED!!!!**”

Tsuneo couldn’t help but grin at the sight beyond the Martial Barrier. “…Lemme spell it out for you…Tania.” He held his free hand over the hole in his chest as he returned to his normal standing posture. “You _did_ kill me, you _did_ destroy my cursed ace, and you _did_ have what was left of me dead to rights. Even _I_ thought I was fucked there…and the worst part is that I would’ve _deserved_ it for being a fucking idiot.

“I let my grudge against you override my common sense, and I would’ve paid the ultimate price for it…if not for something critical; something we _both_ seem to have forgotten. I have allies willing to stand by my side no matter how stupid I act; people who’d risk everything just to pull me from the jaws of death.That’s _my_ ace in the hole, Tania; true friends who’d liberate me from hell itself. Friends I’m all too thankful for…and whose power exceeds that of _any_ god.”

The casual blasphemy snapped Purgatory out of her shock, causing her to retake her own battle stance as she cast her sternest glare at Tsuneo. “Don’t be so quick to celebrate!” she spat. “You may have earned a second lease on you unlife from your bewitched thralls…but it only gives me the honor of humbling you once again before I purge your soul _for good!_” A familiar radiant aura erupted around her entire body, but Tsuneo didn’t even flinch this time; instead, he twirled his Reaper Blade into a reverse grip, flames still licking the tip of the blade.

“And as I said before…_take it if you can._” His taunt was all it took to send the Azure paladin headlong into another frenzied assault, motes of light from her aura shifted into searing darts as she slashed away with renewed fervor. No longer blinded by his vendetta, Tsuneo was ready for the attacks this time, using his reversed blade to catch Purgatory’s blows and laying in counterstrikes at each opening. Although her wounds rapidly healed, Purgatory was now having much more difficulty making her blows do any lasting damage in turn; even the stray bolts of radiant magic barely fazed Tsuneo as they blasted through his body, which didn’t go unnoticed by the Society.

“Yeaaah!” Scafe cheered. “Kick her armored ass, Tsuneo!” 

“I still don’t know what the hell you did, Irene, but it’s working like a charm!” Dante added. “She’s not so high-and-mighty now!” He grinned as the two traded fierce blows, but his taunts did not go unnoticed; after giving herself some room with a firm boot to Tsuneo’s chest, Purgatory turned to face the others.

“Judgement awaits _you_ as well, heathens…” she growled. “My followers! Dispose of these heretics while I slay their dark puppetmaster!” She surged forth to meet Tsuneo’s next attack as the double doors to the Sanctum were kicked open, allowing the reanimated Elite Zealots to flood in. By now, they were nearly unrecognizable under their accumulated damage - some were little more than chunks of flesh and bone held together by the energy visibly coursing through their battered armor. However, they hadn’t lost an iota of their ferocity, holding their weapons high as they charged towards the Society.

“Son of a- HOW MANY FUCKING _TIMES_ DO WE HAVE TO **KILL YOU!?**” Matt’s exasperated shout didn’t stop him from hurling one of his scythe arms at the oncoming Zealots; however, one of them simply swatted the limb aside with his halberd as the others closed in.

“Bugger all…” Max used his blade to block the first attack as he shouted to his friends. “We’ll have our hands full here; they’re _all_ back!”

While the Society engaged the Zealots yet again, Purgatory and Tsuneo had locked blades in a fierce clash. “I don’t know why you keep trying the same old song,” the latter sneered. “It clearly didn’t work the _last_ two or three times…and I’d be more worried about the one ‘heathen’ that’s on _this_ side of your fancy barrier, anyway.”

“It seems that you’re not as short-sighted as I thought,” Purgatory hissed back. “You’ve taught your so-called ‘friends’ some of your foul magicks, allowing them to shield you against the light of the Lord! If that’s the case…**they’ll just have to _share_ your fate!**”

The threat made Tsuneo’s eyes widen as something snapped in his mind. In an instant, the First Blood formed in his offhand, allowing him to strike Purgatory’s midsection with a brutal swing. Only the barest amount of blood escaped the wound before it healed over, but it was enough to confer the weapon’s signature buff on its wielder.

“You’ll _do_ NO **SUCH _THING!!!!_**” Tsuneo’s roar echoed the aura that flared up around him, a mixture of the First Blood’s empowering effect and the mysterious flames that had colored his Ether ever since his revival. With a mighty heave, he jerked both of their locked swords aside; when Purgatory stumbled, he threw a wild haymaker, its speed boosted by his blade’s buff. The force of the blow was much stronger than even he realized; instead of sending Purgatory reeling as he expected, she was sent sailing back to the opposite side of the barrier, flames scorching her chest and the ground she was struck from.

“Holy…!” Scafe smashed one of the piecemeal Zealots with a large chain before turning to regard everyone else. “You guys _feel_ that one, too!? I mean, I knew Tsuneo was buff, but I didn’t think he could throw punches like _that._”

“If I had to hypothesize, Irene’s method of revival had a positive effect on Tsuneo’s strength,” Tim rubbed his chin from his position in the air, dodging the odd projectile from below as he analyzed what had just happened. “Those flames _do_ seem rather like her own, and I’m quite certain our undead friend never had pyromancy before this moment.” He paused to evade a lightning-wreathed quarrel from another Zealot’s crossbow. “In the heat of this battle, her own surging flames seem to fuel his burning spirit!”

“Whoa whoa whoa, back up a sec!” B.Nana cried, dodging a surprisingly accurate stab from a mostly-headless Zealot’s rapier before retaliating with a Banana Bomb. “Are you sayin’ that Irene somehow made Tsuneo even _stronger_ than before!? Is that even _possible!?_”

“If it is, it’d only be when she’s actively empowering him with her own strength.” Hanna swooped past another swinging flail as he indicated Irene, currently darting around two larger Zealots armed with warhammers. “Their souls are inextricably linked, so it only makes sense for their energies to also intertwine. In fact, if my theory is correct…try a fireball, Irene!”

At the phantom’s call, Irene portalled away from her assailants and threw her biggest one-handed fireball from a distance; when it hit its mark, she saw arcs of blood fly off her targets, as if blades had cut into them and exploded. “Yeah!” she cried. “You’re right, Hanna; he’s making _me_ stronger too!”

Back in the Sanctum proper, Purgatory was slowly getting to her feet, still dazed from the sheer force of Tsuneo’s punch as she glanced around in search of her sword. “Rrgh…so this demon can draw upon the fires of Hell itself…but it is useless against the power of- !” She flinched as she touched a slightly painful burn lingering where the blow had landed. “What in the Lord’s name!?”

“You made a serious mistake, Purgatory; a _Cardinal Sin_ against me and my own!” Tsuneo closed the distance quickly, his blade dispersing and reforming into his Violent Claws. “You threatened the ones I hold dear, and I’m gonna make sure you have _plenty_ to repent for when I send you to Hell myself!!!”

“Prattle as you wish, demon - it will _not_ avail you!” As Tsuneo prepared to lay into her with a clawed assault, Purgatory dropped to a knee and planted her hand on the ground, causing blasts of light to erupt around her. She followed up with a gesture to the ceiling, summoning several other blazing beams that ran through the NeverDead like radiant lances; however, his approach was not stalled. Realizing her predicament, she grabbed his arms mid-swing to stop him from slashing her.

“How…HOW can this be!?” The mad paladin screamed in frustration and confusion as a massive burst of holy energy erupted from the gem on her chest, sending Tsuneo skidding back across the floor. Purgatory smiled viciously, expecting the blast to have left her foe dead, severely wounded, or at the very least screaming in pain…but he straightened back up as if he had been merely blown back by heavy winds. “This can’t be possible…HOW do you resist the Lord’s light!?”

“What can I say…even a blind fanatic like you is right once in a blue moon.” Tsuneo chuckled as he rubbed his stomach briefly; the assaults had left him winded, but without any lasting damage. “Like I said before…the Shadow Fiend _was_ a real monster; your light burned me so harshly because of its evil tainting my heart. By exorcising it…**you also destroyed my biggest weakness**…and thanks to Irene’s own power, it seems that magic in general has much less effect… It’s liberating, honestly, not having to worry about magic…and I have _you_ to thank for this even happening.” He shook his head incredulously, a mirthless chuckle escaping him. “I’m not sure what’s worse: the fact that you screwed yourself over _this_ hard, or the fact that I have to _take back_ one of my favorite jabs; for once in your fanatical life, you’ve _actually_ done God’s work!”

“Impossible…impossible!” Even Purgatory’s less-than-righteous wrath was giving way to panic now. “This _cannot_ be happening! You have committed crimes immeasurable against the Nexus! Your soul _seethes_ with sin! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BURN FOR ALL ETERNITY!! _WHY_ WOULD THE LORD SHOW _MERCY_ TO A WRETCHED **DEMON** SUCH AS **_YOU?!_**”

“As I recall _you_ saying so _very_ often…**the Lord works in mysterious ways.**” A familiar trollish smirk curled Tsuneo’s lips as Purgatory’s eye twitched. “Consider this, if you will… Does the Nexus _benefit_ from the Initiative’s actions? Would your toothless Lord _condone_ Amethyst’s wanton lust and gleeful destruction of Iridu City? Marcell’s satanic music and Sylvie’s twisted experiments? The abomination of a Chimera your master created? The ravaging of Neo-Tokyo at Saturn’s hands? The slaughter perpetrated by your pet demon? …The fact you even _had_ a pet demon?” His smirk widened as he watched his ex-friend flinch after every point. “And don’t even get me _started_ on the scar-faced jackass you’ve pledged yourself to; he’s ticked off pretty much every sin on the list!”

“I… Y-you…” Purgatory stumbled back as Tsuneo laid the crimes of her peers bare, his glowing red gaze locked on her as her composure visibly crumbled. “And what of _you,_ demonic heretic!? Condemning an angel to consort with such-”

“And then there’s _you._” Tsuneo carried on with such ease that even Purgatory’s building tirade fell flat. “Creating problems to become the big damn hero you wished you could be. Preaching a holy message you cannot practice. Turning a blind eye to the sins of your compatriots, willingly assisting their blatantly evil plans, _stealing the free will_ of all Nexians…and for what? All this…to kill the _real_ heroes of this planet; the men and women who put their lives on the line to destroy you and your corrupt allies?” He closed the distance between him and his foe as her back hit the wall, too aghast by his words to even think of a sneak attack.

“You may control divine light, but that means _nothing_ for your moral stance. Just as the kindest souls can have darkness at their beck and call…so too can the foulest of us veil their sins behind radiant light.” Tsuneo leaned in to look Purgatory right in the eye, noting the way her pupils dilated as he forced her to confront her deepest fear. “Face it, Purgatory…your cause was _never_ just, your toothless god was _never_ on your side, and your zealous actions do _not_ make you an angel, even one of vengeance. **You are a demon far more vile than I, or even your fellow conspirators, could _ever_ become.**”

For a moment, Purgatory stood in silent terror, a child cowering in the face of a parent’s discipline…and then her face twisted with fury beyond anything she had ever felt. “**NOOO!!**” she roared. “I will NOT be deterred by your impertinence!!” Her fist clenched just shy of drawing blood as she suddenly lashed out, with Tsuneo deftly stepping back from the wild swing. “My God is _always_ with me! He would _never_ forsake me!! He would _never_ lie to me!!”

“But he _can_ condemn you.” Tsuneo didn’t even try to pursue the raging paladin as she made a mad dash for her fallen sword.

“My Lord! Almighty creator of all that is…absolute arbitrator of good and evil…embodiment of righteousness and wisdom!!” Purgatory’s shout rang through her sanctum as she seized her weapon and whipped back around to face Tsuneo. “Why do I flag against this beast?! He is a demon; his will is that of a _destroyer!!_ He! MUST! **DIE!!!**” With a furious warcry, she resumed her assault, unleashing a flurry of slashes that could’ve probably torn Tsuneo clean in half from sheer force. However, they were wild and painfully telegraphed; compared to the controlled assaults of before, Tsuneo barely had to put any effort into dodging them.

“Alright, this is getting pathetic,” he groaned. “It's time to end this.” He swept his hand to one side, morphing his claws back into the Reaper Blade. The invisible crook on the front of the weapon caught Purgatory’s next swing; before she knew it, Tsuneo threw her guard wide open and slashed her with a flaming overhead strike, sending her sprawling on the floor with her chest cleaved open.

“Gaah…! T…This…cannot…be…” Despite her grievous wounds, Purgatory rolled over onto her ravaged front, using her sword as a crutch to raise herself to one knee. “L-Light _always_…prevails against the darkness… The angel…_always_…slays…the demon! It…it has…a-always been so…! W…Why is this…_different?!_”

“It’s as I said…you’re looking at it wrong,” Tsuneo answered. “Perhaps you’re no angel…but the very demon destined to lose.” His triumphant smirk contrasted his battle-ready stance; he knew Purgatory better than to stop here. His body tensed as his enemy staggered to her feet, his mind calculating how her next desperate assault would take shape…

…So he was understandably surprised when that assault never came.

“Ve…*haah*…very _well._” Purgatory growled between labored breaths as her face twisted with deep, primal fury. Holding her mutilated chest with one hand, she mustered the strength to raise her sword in the air, pointing directly to the ceiling. Despite himself, Tsuneo looked up in curiosity, barely making out an elaborate mural carved into the gilt stone: a view of what could only be Purgatory’s interpretation of Heaven itself. Tiny figures raised their arms in supplication and awe as angels flew amid shining towers and billowing clouds, and the centerpiece was a radiant light emitted from two massive eyes.

“MY LORD!!!” Purgatory screamed apoplectically as she pointed her sword at the eyes in the mural. “I have forever served your divine will ever since I was able to comprehend it…and YOU HAVE DONE _NOTHING_ FOR ME!” Her dull blue eyes flashed as she ranted at her deity, adrenaline born of utmost wrath numbing her pain and fatigue. “You promised me your _blessing!_ Your _guidance!_ Your _power!!_ AND YOU ABANDON ME AT _THIS_, MY MOST DESPERATE MOMENT?! MY LORD! WHY HAVE YOU **FORSAKEN** ME!?” As if a switch was flipped, she suddenly bowed her head, her sword arm falling limply to her side as depression took hold of her. “Wha…W-what have I done…to displease you so…? Is…is _this_ your divine will…? Was…_he_…really the angel…in this equation?”

“If I _had_ to guess,” Tsuneo’s stance relaxed as he interrupted Purgatory’s rant. “I’d say the “divine will” is being enacted in response to the more egregious sins you’ve committed against the one who trusted you the most. My path to this very moment has been lined with redemption for the failings of my time in the Nexus…but you have redeemed _nothing_ for your own actions upon its denizens. If there _is_ a god, they stand behind me and the things I’ve done for the sake of those important to me…to protect them from the _true_ monsters, like you.”

“A…a _monster_…? Is that…my destiny?” Purgatory slowly returned her gaze to the image high above her. “Is that…true…my Lord…? Was this…was this your intention all along? Years of tireless service…unwavering faith in your commandments…unbending resolve in the face of sin and chaos…and yet my role in the grand design…was to be a mere _monster_ for this…this _demon_ to strike down!?” Her voice rose as her anger returned in full. “What does _he_ have that _I_ lack!? Blasphemous pride? Insatiable bloodlust? An enduring love of tormenting others and leading them astray? Defiance of the natural order with his mere _presence!?_ He doubts your power, my Lord, questions your very _existence_…AND YOU STILL FAVOR _HIM_ OVER _ME?!_” Her sword trembled in the ever-tightening grip of her hand as she seemed to come to a realization.

“Wait…I understand it now… This power you gave me…this was no blessing! THIS WAS A **CURSE!** A _TRICK_ TO MAKE ME _THINK_ THAT I HAD YOUR FAVOR!!! From the very beginning…you have DECEIVED me! You USED me! YOU _LIED_ TO ME!!!” She paused for a breath, her voice raspy from her one-sided shouting match. “I fought to slay demons in your name…and I never realized that you were playing both sides all along! Well…you know what, my _Lord_…? It ends HERE!!!” Her volume shot back up as she shook her free fist at the ceiling mural. “YOU ARE _NO GOD OF MINE!!!_ I NEED NOT THE FAVOR OF A DEITY THAT BENDS HIS EAR TO THE PRAYERS OF **DEMONS!!!** I **DENOUNCE** YOU AND ALL THAT YOU STAND FOR!!! DO YOU HEAR ME!!? _I DON’T NEED YOU!_ **I! DON’T! NEED! Y-**!”

Purgatory froze mid-sentence as a shock of pain suddenly struck her. Her blade clattered to the ground as she groaned in pain, her off hand once again going to her chest.

“Uuurrrgghh!!” she moaned. “W…what the… W….what’s happening??” She fell to her hands and knees as the pain started to intensify. Tsuneo blinked in confusion as he noticed the veins on Purgatory’s body beginning to darken. Warily, he inched forward, Reaper Blade held defensively as he watched a small puddle of black fluid spreading beneath his foe. Suddenly, the Azure Initiative member sat up, screaming in agonizing pain as liquid blackness poured from every orifice; her eyes, her nose, her mouth, her ears, and especially her chest wound.

“What the _hell_ is going on with you?!” Tsuneo shouted, equally disgusted and stunned by this sudden turn of events.

“AAARARRRGGGHHH!!!” Purgatory clutched her head as it vanished beneath the torrents of darkness erupting from her facial features. “MMYYY LOOORDD!! PLLEEASSEEE! IT _HUURTS!_ FOOORGIVE MEEE!! I WAS JUSST AANGRAAA_AAAAAAHHHH!!!!_ PLEASE DO NOT **FOORRSSAAKKE** MMMEEEE!!!”

Purgatory began to rise off the ground, her screams becoming increasingly desperate and distorted as her entire body vanished under the black mass. Tsuneo took a few steps back, readying his Reaper Blade as Purgatory’s sword appeared to decay at an accelerated rate; its blade faded to a tarnished grey before the entire weapon crumbled to dust.

“AAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!! _NOOOO!!!_” Purgatory’s anguished cries were barely human at this point. “YOU SAID…I WAS…**AN ANGGEEEELLL!!!**”

“…That is one _fucked up_ angel…” Tsuneo spoke in a hushed whisper as he backed up to the Martial Barrier…and briefly staggered when his back hit empty air. Chancing a glance behind him, he saw a large, ragged hole in the mystic wall, growing by the minute amid several other holes.

“Guys! The barrier’s coming down!” Brian’s shout echoed Tsuneo’s thoughts, having nearly fallen through an opening himself. The undead paladins collapsed on the spot, allowing the rest of the Society to see the Martial Barrier’s evaporation for themselves.

“I dunno what happened,” Becky said, “but it looks like it just took down the wall and her guards!”

“Then it’s time to _really_ mess her up!” Dante screamed in elation as he vaulted through the largest hole with his beam katana at the ready. He was just as quickly knocked back out by a large, pitch-black tendril, courtesy of a drastically transformed Purgatory. She seemed to have merged with the black mass, gaining a skin texture reminiscent of a mostly-starless night sky. Although she retained her feminine figure, the remnants of her armor covering her legs, and the blue gem embedded in her chest, the rest of her body had become unrecognizably monstrous. Four tentacles had erupted from her back (including the one that had smacked Dante), small spikes protruded from her scalp and left shoulder, and her face was nothing more than two round eyes and a jagged mouth, both glowing with dull blue light.

“Mother…of…**fuck…**” Juliet’s whispered curse echoed the thoughts of her friends as the ex-paladin slowly focused her dark, terrifying visage on Tsuneo. Her expression didn’t change, but her intentions were clear, especially when she raised her right arm and morphed it into a long, narrow blade.

“…So _this_ was the reason.” The NeverDead raised his own blade in turn, staring down the fiendish figure before him. “You didn’t just _follow_ a god…you _bound your life_ to the service of one. A fatal mistake…I should know…Without their protection, you truly _are_ a monster… The friend I once knew is but a distant memory now.” He shook his head as he snapped his fingers, causing his mask to appear in his free hand; his voice returned to its familiar modulated tone as he put it back on. “But now that I can finally see it…the least I can do is honor her memory by slaying the very demon that made her this way.”

“You don’t have to do it alone, bro.” Brian laid an encouraging hand on Tsuneo’s shoulder as the others started to crowd in through the unobstructed entrance. “Without her pious power blocking us out, we can do this together; you don’t have to bear the burden yourself.”

“…I know.” Behind the impenetrable facade of his mask, Tsuneo briefly closed his eyes and gave a warm smile. “Right then…Crimson Society, _rush her down!!!_” The order had barely left his mouth before he took the initiative, rushing at Purgatory with blistering speed. The corrupted paladin swung her blade-arm at the incoming revenant, but he used his Reaper Blade to swat it aside, following up with a lightning-quick backslash across her torso.

“Took the words outta my mouth, bro!” Eli’s chortle turned into a battle cry as he, Emily, Zs, Tim, Matt, and JoJo followed in Tsuneo’s wake, striking past Purgatory with their various weapons. This gave Brian, Irene, Hanna, Becky, Tavo, B.Nana, and Gabe the opening they needed to barrage the blackened angel with everything they had. Finally, Max, Scafe, Juliet, Zuula, Dante, and Emperor closed the distance amid the covering fire, unleashing their heaviest attacks to inflict further damage against the dark form before them.

“**GHHAAAAAAARRR!!**” It was unclear if Purgatory’s inhuman shriek was pained, angry, or hateful as she dropped to the ground, clapping her tentacles together to create an explosion of dark energy. In addition to interrupting the Society’s relentless assault, it left small orbs floating around her, which quickly morphed into wicked-looking lances. However, instead of firing them all around her, the corrupted warrior sent the spears flying after Tsuneo alone, surprising the rest of the Society.

“I always knew Tania was single-minded, but _that_ is a whole ‘nother level of obsession,” Eli quipped.

“Eeyup.” Scafe nodded with a hint of unease. “This can definitely work to our advantage…but can Tsuneo last under all that pressure? He’s good, but I dunno if he’s _that_ good.”

“It’s fine, Scafe!” Tsuneo responded amid his dextrous dodging. “Furthermore, now I can see the source of all her hatred for me in particular; this _thing_ has it out for me even worse than she did!” He leapt to avoid an attack wave from Purgatory’s blade-arm, twisting in mid-air to evade her lashing tentacles. “I can’t stand still for more than a second…but that’s your opening!” 

“Then let’s capitalize on that focus of hers!” Max slammed the ground to summon a stone pillar in front of Purgatory, angled to strike her in the chest and throw her back towards the heavier hitters of the Society. Once his target was in range, Scafe lashed an Explosive Chain around the dark beast’s neck, slamming her into the ground with backbreaking force before the detonation knocked her into the air. Dante promptly slid beneath the popped-up black paladin, using a springboard kick to send her further skyward.

“Juliet! Tim! Dearheart! _Go for it!_” Dante called out from the ground as he spun up to his feet, launching after his target to chase her down in midair. The called members followed suit and struck simultaneously in a flash of speed; katana, lightsaber, and machete slashes came from all directions as Dante went for an impaling strike, ignoring the injuries inflicted by ally and enemy alike as he locked arms around Purgatory’s midsection and flipped them both over. He started rapidly spinning as they began to descend, culminating in an Izuna Drop right into an uppercut from Emperor; Dante was sent careening off to one side as the corrupted monster flew towards the ceiling once more.

“This is for Tsuneo, you crazy _bitch!_” Irene’s tone was utterly venomous as she dropped out of a portal above Purgatory, quickly followed by all of the ranged Society members. Everyone focused their most explosive projectiles on their target as Irene hurled a blood-red fireball; the combined blast was enough to cause a small sonic boom as the ex-paladin went blazing into the ground. The ranged attackers deftly landed around the new crater, soon joined by the rest of the Society as they warily peered into the dust.

“Y-you think she’s-” Tavo’s nervous question was interrupted when Tsuneo barreled past him, jumping into the dust to spot his target. She was lying at the dead center of the crater, looking more dazed than injured as she struggled to rise. Tsuneo’s gaze quickly lighted upon the gem in her chest, noting its resemblance to the stones adorning the altar.

“You’ve suffered a life of delusions…but that ends here and now.” Moving with lightning speed, the revenant closed the distance and stomped Purgatory’s stomach, both to daze her further and to give himself leverage for the _coup de grace_. He quickly replicated his Reaper Blade in his offhand to perform a cross-strike to cleave open the flesh at the corners of the gem; repeating the move above it made a diamond cut in her collar. Finally, the reverse cleave caught the gem on the Ethereal scythe blades of his dual swords, allowing Tsuneo to rip it out with a chunk of dark flesh. Purgatory convulsed for a moment, her distorted shriek fading to an all-too-human sigh as Tsuneo backed away from her death throes.

“I……I…was an…angel……now…...I…..have……_f.all..en_…” With those final words, Purgatory’s eyes went dark and her body went perfectly still. Tsuneo stared at his onetime friend’s corpse for a second that felt like an eternity, his fist tightening hard enough to crush the gem to powder.

“And _that’s_ why you never put your life in the hands of gods… You take it for yourself, or they lead you to die for them.” Tsuneo closed his eyes behind his mask, a distant memory stirring in his mind as the dust finally settled, allowing his friends to see his handiwork.

“Well, if _that_ isn’t a sure sign that Purgatory’s spouted her last rant, I’ll give up pudding…” Eli’s quip fell slightly flat as he regarded Tsuneo. “Hey…Y’alright, dude?”

“…Yeah.” Tsuneo acknowledged the chinchilla’s concern with the barest nod, teeth clenched behind his mask as Scafe glided into the crater to speak with his fellow Councilman more directly.

“I’m not gonna say that I know how you feel, but…” The dragon-man shook his head, having a good idea about Tsuneo’s current line of thought. “…I guess revenge wasn’t quite as satisfying as you’d hoped, huh?” Despite his blase words, his gaze showed only deepest sympathy.

“…You and I both know I _never_ wanted this.” Tsuneo sighed as he uncurled his hand, letting the gem’s dust spill to the ground as he examined his palm. “After you, Tania was the first face I met here on the Nexus, one of the first friends I made here…and someone I couldn’t save from her own bad choices…” He glanced back at the lifeless corpse behind Scafe. “In the end…I guess some part of me still wanted to save her from herself, even if I _knew_ I’d have to do otherwise…but redemption was beyond her reach…”

The silence hung in the air for a moment or two, broken only by the soft squelch of Brian scooping up Irene’s mangled NeverTed into a drawn bucket. Afterwards, something caught the Society’s attention; a steadily-growing light from the altar. “Holy hell, that thing’s lighting up like a thousand-watt Christmas tree!” JoJo gasped.

“Somehow, that doesn’t seem like a good sign,” Max muttered. His fears proved well-founded when a rapid clicking noise sounded from Irene’s hip, prompting her to pull a small device from her pocket.

“…Looks like the angel-bitch even planned for her _death._” Her eyes widened as she stared at the meter, ticking up in time with the clicks. “Geiger count’s going off the charts - there’s some _serious_ radiation buildup in that altar!”

The Society did a double-take at Irene’s report as the dull chime of the Cathedral’s bell was heard overhead, bringing another cause for concern. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Purgatory was using this altar for her mass suggestion device,” Gabe said nervously. “If this thing’s going nuclear…d’you think there’s a chance it’ll spread the radioactive energy to all the people hearing it?” 

“I certainly…hope not……that could only end in…tragedy…for the afflicted.” Hanna spoke through gritted teeth; the growing instability in the altar’s stored souls was making it hard for him to even look in its general direction. “At _best_, their fanatical condition…could become irreversible. At worst…it ends in…total mental shutdown…from radiation poisoning.”

“Judging by the sudden migraine coming on…” Zs grimaced as Purgatory’s endless mantras faded from her mind, only to be replaced by an unpleasantly hot prickling sensation. “…I’m leaning towards the worst-case scenario here.”

“Ohhh…SHIT!” Brian seized his head in a combination of discomfort and abject panic. “And if Cipher was on the mark about its spread…it’s probably hit the entire Surface by now! We need to shut this thing down, _right fucking now!_” He turned towards the altar with pencil in hand, only for Matt to hold him back with the flats of his sickle arms.

“Bro, do you _feel_ how hot that is!? If we stay in this room any longer, we’re all gonna _fry!_”

“I can walk through Iridu’s ruins no problem, but that’s a balmy day in nuclear winter compared to _this!_” Tsuneo was already herding the rest of the group towards the entrance, readying his Anarchy Carvers in case he needed to repeat his stunt from Zangaikotsu Island. “If _I’m_ doubting my chances here, you’re all _fucked_ if you don’t get away from that damned altar!”

“Correction: all but _one_ of us is fucked.” Irene smiled as she stepped away from the group. “I don’t care _how_ jacked up on soul power it is; it’s still radiation. Just a bunch of high-intensity alpha, beta, and gamma rays; nothing I haven’t dealt with before~ So, I just gotta fly over there and shut the thing down…but yes, _you’re_ all getting the _hell_ outta here.”

Before anyone could protest, Irene opened a portal beneath her friends, unceremoniously dropping them back in the chapel a floor below. With her friends safe, she flew up to the altar in question; as she predicted, her screaming Geiger counter was more annoying that the radiation itself. “Alright, let’s see here…” She rubbed her chin, drawing on every ounce of her knowledge as she studied the device.

“It’s heavily modified, but it’s still built around the concept of a nuclear reactor…” she mused. “If I want to cut the power…I just need to remove the fuel cells.” She quickly set to work removing the gems from the altar, plucking them out and tossing them to the ground hard enough to shatter them. Every gem released a tiny glowing soul, sapping light and radiation from the altar in turn. With only ten gems to go, her Geiger counter showed radiation falling to levels around that of the ruined Iridu City, bringing a small smile to her face as she went for the rest.

_Maybe…just maybe…this makes up for _that_ day…_ The thought warmed Irene more than the radiation by this point as she pulled the last two gems from the altar, killing the lights in the whole Cathedral. Once the final gem was reduced to shards, the rest of the Society let out a collective sigh of relief; the hot buzzing feeling in the back of their heads had finally disappeared.

“Anyone else happen to have a Geiger counter?” Irene called out over the comms. “Mine is showing _relatively_ stable levels of radiation, but I’d rather confirm it before I go.” Recognizing his cue, Brian sketched one up, pointing it at himself before sweeping it amid his friends. Aside from what had stuck to everyone from their exposure mere moments ago, it seems to be dying down rapidly.

“Uhh…” The spider-bunny squinted at the monitor on the counter, noting the slow clicks and the line on the screen becoming less jagged. “It’s……uhh…straighter…and less…clicky,” he ventured. “That’s good…right?” He flinched when Tsuneo looked over his shoulder and gently slapped the back of his head.

“Levels are dropping fast, Irene; we’re losing rads rapidly.” He chuckled to himself as he corrected Brian’s novice response. “Excellent work, love. Our work here is done; the Cathedral’s shut down, and two more Initiative members have been eliminated. We’re a few steps closer to finishing this once and for all.”

“Yeah…but don’t get too cocky.” Juliet sent a pointed glance at Dante as she spoke. “Weiss might be cornered…but that just means he’s got nothing left to lose.”

“With his back to the wall, we have no idea what he and his remaining allies will do in response to this latest foiling,” Scafe added. “Especially since we still need to get Gabe’s sister outta there before we wreck Weiss.” He glanced at the red-headed goat boy as he spoke, earning a small, grateful nod.

“Yeah…but first, we should focus on getting ourselves outta _here._” Eli turned to Irene as she portalled back to the group. “Y’think we can get the Warp Pad back up and running without the Zealot-fuelled generator powering the place?”

“No need, Eels!” Brian replied before his butterfly-winged friend could. “Those things run on their own power supplies; wouldn’t do for the pad to go down in the case of a blackout. That’d be like an escape window being covered by a brick wall.”

“Huh…the more you know.” Eli allowed himself a small chuckle before carrying on with his original thought. “Alright, boys and girls, let’s get moving! We’ve got ourselves a feud to end and a shades-wearing douchebag’s dreams to crush~!” 

The Society gave a resounding cry of agreement as they left the chapel. On their way out, they noticed an uncomfortably sustained tremor in the ground around them.

“Uhh…Tsuneo?” Matt began slowly. “What was that bit about spatial pockets you were on about before we came here? Because I feel like that might be relevant.”

“Right, the localized pocket of space in the barrier outside the atmosphere… My guess is that with the power off, whatever’s keeping this bubble stable is starting to fail.” The revenant raised a dismissive hand as his allies gave him looks of shock amid his casual observation. “This place isn’t just gonna collapse immediately; we’d already be dead in that case…but we shouldn’t stick around much longer anyway.”

“_You heard the man; double time, people!_” Zeus barked. “_When we get back, we’re going straight for the head of the Azure Initiative…and **cutting it off.**_”

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	5. The Breaking Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then there were three. Except... what's this going on?

## Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

### Chapter 9 Epilogue: The Breaking Point

_Last time on _Tales of the Society_..._

_Irene’s plan to save Tsuneo from permanent death at Purgatory’s hands/sword/holy magic was a massive gamble…but it paid off in _spades_. Not only was Tsuneo revived good as new (bigger hole in his chest notwithstanding), he’d become much less susceptible to divine power _and_ magic in general; he even discovered that he and Irene could amplify each other’s powers! Needless to say, his next clash with Purgatory was far more in his favor, allowing him to overwhelm her physically and psychologically._

_Faced with irrefutable proof that her twisted vision of God’s design was false, Purgatory did something unthinkable; she turned on her deity, denouncing Him as being no better than the “demon” He appeared to favor. This promptly backfired spectacularly; the Azure paladin was stripped of her holy power and consumed by darkness, morphing into an abominable creature driven only by a single-minded desire to see Tsuneo fall. Fortunately for the NeverDead, the transformation _also_ disabled Purgatory’s means of keeping his friends at bay, allowing the entire Crimson Society to join the battle._

_Against such incredible odds, it was only a matter of time before the fallen “angel” met her demise at the hands (well, blades) of the “demon” she vowed to destroy. However, Purgatory was prepared to the last; her death sent the Cathedral into overdrive, threatening to destroy the minds of all who heard its cursed bell. With ambient radiation levels climbing past even Tsuneo’s comfort zone, Irene sprang into action once more, portalling her friends to safety before single-handedly deactivating the altar fuelling the superweapon._

_Now that the Cathedral’s bell has finally fallen silent, the Society is sitting firmly in the driver’s seat of their feud with the Azure Initiative. However, they know full well that they’re not in the clear yet - Weiss’s measures can only become increasingly desperate as his faction continues to shrink…_

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“Son. _Of. **A. TAINT!!!**_”

Weiss’s lightning-wreathed fists hit the arms of his chair hard enough to briefly set them alight. He had been reclining in the living room, watching the news as everything descended into religion-fuelled chaos on the Nexus, when everyone had collapsed with what seemed to be the mother of all headaches. A moment later, they had recovered, but with no signs of their previous fervor; suspecting the cause, Weiss had immediately contacted Purgatory.

Well, “_tried_ to contact Purgatory”, at least. When he didn’t get so much as a ringtone, Weiss’s worst fears were confirmed: the Cathedral was offline, and Purgatory (and 1:30 by extension) was dead. That reduced his Azure Initiative to three people, one base, and exactly _zero_ ways to regain the advantage over the Crimson Society any time soon.

Needless to say, he was _not_ in a good mood.

“God-cockslapping-DAMMIT! _HOW!?_ HOW ARE THESE FUCKING CRIMSON TRYHARD DIPSHITS _DOING THIS!?_” Weiss slammed the arms of his chair hard enough to smash them clean off their mountings. “I mean, beating Purgatory and her pet monster I _sort of_ saw coming, but HOW THE ACTUAL **FUCK** did they find the Cathedral’s coordinates!?” He put a hand to his furrowing brows, reviewing the possibilities.

_Purgatory may be crazy, but she’s not stupid, so she didn’t tell ‘em…and 1:30 wouldn’t _dare_ go against his ‘savior’. Quantum’s in the lab, finishing up the new Crimson Chimera like I told him, and he’s _definitely_ not dumb enough to betray me……Amy’s been here the whole time……Nesmon wouldn’t sink to helping the Shitciety, even if he _was_ trying to undermine me……so……who’s even left…?_”

Feeling another headache coming on, Weiss set the question aside in favor of more pressing matters. _With the Cathedral out of the way, those red-clad cuntflaps are gonna be gunning for _me_ next…but if they think I’ll be caught with my pants down like _they_ were, they’ve got another goddamn thing coming!_ His scowl was equally angry and determined as he grabbed his communicator and called his girlfriend.

“Amethyst, meet me in the stress room. We’re gonna have to kick our training into _overdrive_ now.” He blinked when he received no response. “Amy? Your awesome hubby is calling you! Hellooo…?” His scowl deepened as the communicator remained silent. “…I _know_ you can fucking hear me - get your slutty ass to the stress room, _now!_ Do you _want_ me to hunt down your brother instead!?”

With a huff, Weiss leaned back in his chair, waiting for either a panicked reply on his communicator or the sound of Amethyst rushing down the stairs. When the silence persisted, he rose from the chair, stretching out a crick in his back with a long-suffering groan.

_Wow. That last session must’ve _really_ rattled her if the “Bro Button” didn’t work…_ Weiss felt no concern over Amethyst’s reluctance, only irritation as he dashed up the stairs to the goat-girl’s room. _Well, _boo fucking hoo,_ Amy - we’re gonna be having some unwelcome “guests” coming by all too soon, and you’ll be ready for ‘em if I have to _drag_ you to training with my own two hands!_

With his patience spent, Weiss unceremoniously kicked the door clear off its hinges, ready to scream at Amethyst for her “_lack of initiative in my Initiative_”, only to find no sign of her. In fact, the entire room had been emptied, save for the bed and furniture; her tech, her plans, and even her lingerie was gone. It was as if Weiss had gone back in time to when the base was first built; the room looked as if it had never been lived in at all.

“You…must be fuckin’……JOKING!!!” In less than a second, Weiss’s voice went from barely a whisper to an absolute howl of furious disbelief. “SHE _DITCHED_ ME!? WHY _NOW,_ OF ALL TIMES!?!” He all but tore his sunglasses off his face, his eyes sparking in pure hatred as he scanned the empty room; try as he might, there was no message, map, or other clues to indicate where Amethyst might’ve fled to.

“Alright, that fucking _tears_ it!!” Weiss’s eyes and hands crackled with barely-restrained electricity as he stormed out of Amethyst’s former room. “No more games! No more delays! I’m gonna rain hell on them, no matter _how_ prepared they are!! If that overthinking Poké-minion of mine ain’t done with my Crimson Chimera _yesterday,_ so help me…” He continued muttering darkly to himself as he stalked downstairs to the lab area, announcing his presence with a blast of lightning that burned a hole in the door.

“Lord Weiss.” Quantum didn’t even look up from his workstation as Weiss threw open the ruined door. “I take your…unorthodox…entrance to mean that our situation has worsened further-”

“What the _FUCK_ do you THINK happened!?” Weiss shouted. “The Cathedral’s down, Purgatory and 1:30 are six feet under, and _Amethyst_ of all people just got the fuck outta dodge!!” His eyes flashed especially dangerously at that last point. “That leaves you and me as the sole representatives of the Azure Initiative…and unless you wanna become the next casualty, that Crimson Chimera mk.II had better be ready to unleash RIGHT THE FUCK **NOW!!!**”

“I understand completely, Lord Weiss.” As usual, Quantum’s stoic tone was unwavering in the face of Weiss’s bellowed demand. “I assure you that the current template for the Chimera will not fail; I have adjusted it to accommodate for both the Society’s increased prowess _and_ any further unforeseen variables that may arise. Their chance of survival against this version of your _magnum opus_ is well and truly **null.**” He paused just a microsecond longer than normal, giving Weiss the impression of hesitation. “…However…”

“If you’re about to say what I fucking _think_ you’re about to say…” Weiss’s growl was the echo of a distant thunderclap, his eyes narrowing to slits as he waited for the other shoe to drop. “...However…_what_, Quantum…?”

“I have completed the _template_ for the new Chimera…but the _implementation_ is still in its earliest stages.” Cyber code flared around Quantum’s mechanical claw, causing a monitor behind him to display a series of readouts around a large stasis tank. Within the tank, Weiss could see the new Crimson Chimera; its body was well-developed, but it had a simplicity to it that supported Quantum’s assertion. “As you can see, the core bio-frame is stable, so I can begin augmentation in the next-”

“Quantum. L-lemme just stop you right there.” Weiss interrupted the cyborg Zoroark with a raised hand. “I…I don’t think you _quite_ grasp the situation, so I’m gonna explain it in a way that your malfunctioning mind can understand.” He took a deep breath before continuing in a slow, carefully enunciated tone; the picture of calm if not for the veins pulsing in his bald scalp. “Crimson Society killed Purgatory. Cathedral offline. Amethyst gone AWOL. Azure Initiative down to _two_ members. Azure Initiative in _deep shit._ New Crimson Chimera _last fucking chance at **not getting our asses grassed.**_…Y-you _do_ see the problem here, right?” He waited for Quantum to nod stoically before continuing. “Alright, good. We’re on the same page here. So…bearing all that in mind, I must _politely_ ask…**WHAT THE FUCK IS _TAKING_ SO LONG?!**”

“It cannot be helped, my lord,” Quantum droned back. “As per your previous specifications, perfecting the Crimson Chimera has been my top priority…but the Society’s development thus far defies _several_ of my projections. Between the impromptu revisions to the base template and our gradual loss of manpower, reaching _this_ level of completion was highly optimistic at best…but with my calculations refined, I would only require another day or two to-”

“QUANTUM!!!” Weiss yelled loudly enough to visibly rattle some of the more delicate equipment around the lab. “Did you not fucking _hear_ me!? We do not _have_ ‘another day or two!’ The Crimson Cockholes are probably zeroing in on us as we fucking speak - if they found the Cathedral despite no one but us even _knowing_ the coordinates, I doubt they’re gonna have much trouble finding _this_ place next!” 

“Lord Weiss……do not allow your anger and fear to override your logic.” From the way he paused, Quantum almost seemed to be holding back a sigh of exasperation. “Considering my observations and scans of the Society during their last excursion against our late allies, this last venture will have severely taxed them. Even if they somehow know our exact location - highly unlikely in and of itself - they are almost certainly in no condition to hunt for us. Especially since we still have your brother’s unknowing assistance…”

“I _beg your fucking pardon-_” Now it was Weiss’s turn to be silenced by a raised arm.

“There is little evidence to suggest that the Society is aware of our independence from the Neo Empire,” Quantum explained. “As such, their future operations will be conducted under the assumption that we have free access to Nesmon’s resources; their first targets will likely be his known or suspected bases. In order to capitalize on this advantage, I strongly recommend that we fortify our defenses while they search fruitlessly; given one more day and favorable diagnostics, the Chimera should be ready for deployment.”

Weiss’s eye twitched at the mention of “one more day,” but he seemingly silenced his fury with a long breath through his nose. “Just…just tell me this much,” he sighed. “Is the Chimera far along enough that you don’t have to be hovering over a console 24-7?”

From the way Quantum’s ears twitched, he almost seemed relieved at the chance to give Weiss some good news for once. “It is indeed, Lord Weiss. I have modified the laboratory’s equipment to be fully automated; from hereon, the Crimson Chimera’s development can be completed automatically. Of course, it would greatly expedite the process if I was present to address the redundant data testing-”

“Oh no no no no no,” Weiss chuckled in what could _almost_ be mistaken as jocularity as he approached Quantum. “You’ve done _more_ than enough, pal - lemme show you my _appreciation_.”

The deadly edge to that last word gave Quantum just enough warning to be unsurprised when Weiss seized his shoulders and swung him away from the console. When Quantum was clear of any sensitive equipment, the Azure leader unleashed a blistering torrent of lightning upon him, making his limbs spasm violently as the intense energy surged through his body.

“Do you know _why_I formed the Azure Initiative in the first place, Quantum!?” Weiss paused his assault, as if expecting the literally-shocked cyborg to respond instead of collapsing in a heap. “It wasn’t _just_ to pay back those red-clad rump-humpers for banning me…it was to show them how a _real_ team works! To prove that they were _nothing_ without people like us to stand on - I wanted to see the looks on their fucking faces when we proved once and for all that they lost the _best_ part of their stupid little gang when they kicked us out!”

“Lo-o-ord W-W-Weiss-s-s…” Quantum stuttered from the lingering effects of the previous shock as he slowly staggered to his feet, bringing a mirthless smirk to Weiss’s face.

“But you know something, Quantum…? After everything we’ve been through…everything I’ve _endured_ for this little feud…I think I’ve sold them short.” The Azure leader’s smirk widened as he held his hands in front of his chest, forming a large orb of electricity between his palms. “Dumbass so-called do-gooders they may be, but they got _one_ thing right……**you’re all utterly _useless_.**”

Weiss’s spiteful words were drowned out by the roar of his electric orb as he threw it at Quantum. The blast sent the cyberized Pokémon flying out the door and into the hallway beyond, his body making a long trail on the floor as Weiss stalked after him, ranting all the while.

“Do you have _any_ fucking idea how goddamn _annoying_ all of you are?! If it’s not making half-assed promises to be the one who’s _really, truly gonna end the Society once and for all, cross my heart and hope to fucking **die,**_ it’s your ridiculous bullshit _quirks!!_ Marcell was an annoying loudmouth with shit taste in music, Sylvie was a disgusting cunt obsessed with that stupid cartoon horse show, Saturn was a delusional bitch who couldn’t take a fucking hint, 1:30 was a brainless buffoon who only knew how to kill, Purgatory was a psycho with a god complex…and don’t even get me STARTED on my hot-air lunatic of a brother!”

Despite the tirade, Quantum only lay on the floor, barely conscious as Weiss finally stopped right beside him, looking more like a living storm cloud than a (modified) human as he glowered down at his last remaining subordinate.

“And then…there’s you and Amethyst.” The Azure leader’s tone went from wrathful to despondent in an instant. “…I really thought you two were gonna work out for my plans, y’know? I said to myself, ‘_These two, I _like._ They actually have a fucking **idea** of what’s important and how to get shit done. When this is all over, it’s gonna be _us three_ in charge of the Nexus; me, Amy, and my loyal rescue Pokéborg._’ Heh…I really believed it.” He shook his head ruefully before his rage returned in full. “But _NOOOO!_ You two were the _worst_ of the whole fuckin’ bunch! A fucking _waste_ of a Pokémon who couldn’t beat the Society with everything in your favor…and a two-timing _TWAT_ who couldn’t be bothered to even _try_ getting her metallic hands dirty!” He jabbed his foot into Quantum’s side as he went on. “But that’s not even the worst part…what _really_ gets me is how the both of you _used_ me.”

“U…U…_Used_ you? M…My lord… T…this has…to be some…misund-d-derstanding… We would nev-v-ver…” Quantum’s feeble words were cut off by another kick to his side.

“YES YOU FUCKING **DID!!!**” Weiss roared, sounding genuinely hurt for once. “You made me go along with your stupid ideas, made me humor your fucking _needs_, and let our enemies make a fucking _MOCKERY_ of me through your endless failures! And WHERE did that all leave me?!” He stooped to pick up Quantum by his neck fur, slamming him into the wall as he screamed in his face. “STUCK IN THIS STUPID BASE, HIDING LIKE A RAT FROM A BUNCH OF PUFFED-UP PUSSIES WHO _SHOULD_ HAVE DIED TO THE LAST MAN ABOUT **SIX DAMN PLANS AGO!!!** INSTEAD, THEY ALMOST HAVE US BY THE BALLS…NO THANKS TO **YOU** AND YOUR FELLOW FUCKUPS!!!”

“Lord…Wei-ei-eiss!” Quantum would’ve gasped in genuine shock, but his injuries made it come out as a low groan. “You are…s-speaking nonsense!! You wouldn’t…have got-t-tten this…far…if not f-for us! We were…th-the ones who carried you…throughout the entire…conflict…”

“DO I NEED TO REMIND YOU WHOSE IDEA IT WAS _TO SET THIS WHOLE DAMN PLAN IN MOTION!?_” Weiss retorted. “IF NOT FOR ME, WE’D ALL STILL BE WASTING AWAY IN NESMON’S STUPID BASE, WAITING FOR A PLAN THAT NEVER CAME!!! _I_ TOOK ACTION! _I_ GAVE YOU ALL A PURPOSE!! AND _THIS_ IS HOW YOU ALL FUCKING REPAY ME?!” He let Quantum fall back to the floor as he whirled around and began stomping back down the hall, too enraged to vent his frustrations on the battered Zoroark anymore. “I swear…there is a _severe_ lack of FUCKING GRATITUDE on this hellhole of a planet!!!”

Caught up in his rant as he was, Weiss didn’t notice Quantum struggling to rise until a weak stutter reached his ears. “Lor-rd W-W-W-Weiss……I…have made…a critical error……one that has…en-n-nabled…this entire…situa-a-ation…” The cyberized Pokémon’s body and voice shook horribly from the abuse he had suffered, but his eyes gleamed with rare intensity as he staggered to his feet, still sparking errantly. “P-p-please…allow me…one…last chance…to…r-rectify it…”

“Oh, for _fuck’s sake…_…Well, I’ll give you this much, robo-fuck; you’re consistent to the end.” Despite his harsh words, Weiss once again came to a stop in front of his subordinate, arms crossed as he scowled at him. “Ungrateful waste of metal or not, I’ll admit that you _did_ at least try to fix your fuckups…more than I can say for everyone _else_…so I’ll give you _one_ more chance to be useful.”

“Th…Thank you……Lord…Weiss…” Quantum lowered his head meekly as he took a shaky step forward, leaning his mechanical claw on the wall for support. “I assure y-y-you…that I will _not_ waste th-this…opportun-n-nity…”

“If you don’t wanna see whatever passes for your brain crushed in my hand, you’d _better_\- uff!” Weiss froze as a sudden pain erupted in his stomach. “Wh…what the _fuck!?_”

“As I said…I am rec-c-ctifying…my previous err-rr-rror.” Had he any more emotion, Quantum might’ve smirked as he withdrew his organic claws from the new wound on Weiss’s gut. “Do you remember…that day? When you fir-ir-irst approached me…with your plot…to overthrow Nesmon…?”

“The hell are you on about now…?” Weiss growled, clutching his bleeding stomach as he glowered at Quantum.

“That…was a first for me……the first time since my…reconstruction…that I chose to act…_against_ logic. The odds of your…coup…succeeding were astronomically low…yet I chose…to support it…out of loyalty…to _you._” Quantum’s eyes flashed as lines of green-glowing code appeared across his body, slowly healing his injuries. “In the subsequent…skirmishes…I calculated a…moderately higher chance of success…if you were capable of…strategically…applying our resources to the fullest…extent… Clearly, I…overestimated…your abilities.”

“Are you…for fucking…_real_…here!?” It was unclear if Weiss’s gritted teeth were from Quantum’s casual insult or the pain of his own lightning being turned on himself, cauterizing his stomach wound shut. “Are you saying…?”

“My membership with the Azure Initiative is…and always has been…nothing more than _an experiment;_ a test of what would happen…if I made a decision based on emotion rather than logic.” For an instant, Quantum found himself recalling his confrontation with Eli prior to his expulsion from the Society. “I now have conclusive evidence that the latter is _far_ superior; by rejecting logic to support your delusional schemes, I have contributed to the unnecessary suffering of many across the Nexus.” He examined his blood-stained claws as his wounds finished mending themselves. “_That_ is the critical error I mentioned earlier, Weiss…and now, thanks to your ‘_mercy_’, I have my chance to correct it.” A growl escaped his mangled lips as he rushed at his now ex-leader. “For the benefit of all, Weiss Locke…**you must be _terminated._**”

Weiss barely collected himself in time to flash-step away from Quantum’s opening Sucker Punch. “So that’s it, then…” he snarled, his lightning at the ready. “The ever-loyal Pokémon, the one I fucking _saved_ from my own brother and his goose-stepping army, the one who wouldn’t even be _breathing_ if not for my awesomeness…you finally decided to remember that I never _actually_ caught you, huh?” His crooked smile sharply contrasted the look of utmost rage in his eyes at this latest betrayal.

“Capture is irrelevant,” Quantum replied grimly. “I would _never_ disobey the man to whom I owe my life…but that man died long ago.” He attempted to dash past Weiss to reach the lab, but a vicious wall of blue-tinted lightning stymied that effort. “The least I can do to honor his memory is to strike down his murderer…it is only logical.”

Weiss answered Quantum’s declaration with another electric orb, which dispersed harmlessly against a barrier of code that appeared in its path. As the battle between ex-allies intensified, neither of them noticed the base’s proximity alarms briefly flaring to life before falling silent, no longer able to warn anyone of the lone figure slipping into the laboratory.

“Hmph…looks like we’re into the endgame now.” The intruder reached into their pocket, feeling around for something as they approached the Crimson Chimera’s stasis tube. “The way things are going, this story can only end one way…but where’s the fun in that~?”

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**

**Author's Note:**

> I am LadyIrene #2020 on Discord and Insanity_Lady on Twitter.


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